THE  LIFE 


OF 


EDMUND  S.  JANES,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

Late  Senior  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


BY 

HENRY  B.  RIDGAWAY,  D.D. 


NEW  YORK  : 
PHILLIPS    &     HUNT. 

CINCINNATI  : 
WALDEN     &     STOWE. 

1882. 


Copyright   1882,  by 
PHILLIPS    &     HUNT, 

New  York. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
SANTA  BARBARA 


•CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.— 1807-1829. 

Birth  at  Sheffield,  Mass. — Ancestry — William  Janes,  of  Essex, 
England — Benjamin  and  Sally  Janes — A  religious  and  heroic  stock 
— New  England  influence — The  Housatonic  Valley — Childhood 
and  youth  —  School  —  The  mother — Early  manhood  —  Teaches 
school — Awakened,  converted,  and  joins  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church Page  n 

CHAPTER  II.— 1829-1836. 

Reads  law  while  teaching — Removes  to  Bloomfield,  N.  J. — Li- 
censed to  preach — Admitted  "  on  trial  "  in  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
ference, and  appointed  to  Elizabethtown — The  Rev.  Thomas  B. 
Sargent,  D.D. — Preaches  at  the  session  of  the  Conference  at  Wil- 
mington, Del. — Early  promise — Orange,  N.  J. — Bloomfield  and 
Orange — Rules  adopted  for  his  conduct — Financial  Agent  for  Dick- 
inson College — Addresses  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature — Preaches 
and  speaks  in  New  York  city — Makes  the  acquaintance  of  Miss 
Charlotte  Thibou — Miss  Thibou's  characteristics — Marriage — Let- 
ters of  Miss  Thibou 27 

• 

CHAPTER  III.— 1836-1841. 

Stationed  at  Fifth-street  Church,  Philadelphia— The  Nazareth 
Charge — Physical  disadvantages — A  glimpse  of  the  young  pastor, 
by  Dr.  J.  S.  Porter — First  missionary  zeal — Speech  on  missions — 
Studies  medicine — Invited  to  Mulberry-street  Church,  New  York — 
Success — Adaptation  to  young  people — The  blessedness  of  giving 
— Elected  Financial  Secretary  of  the  American  Bible  Society — 
Reasons  for  accepting  the  position — Activity  in  it 45 

CHAPTER  IV.— 1841-1844. 

Devotes  himself  wholly  to  the  American  Bible  Society — Addresses 
a  Western  New  York  Conference — Visits  the  South — Preaches  at 
the  Georgia  Conference — Charleston,  S.  C.— Georgia  Bible  Society 


iv  CONTENTS. 

— Charlotte,  N.  C. — Hard  travel — Estimate  of  Bible  work  in  the 
South — In  and  around  New  York — Visits  the  West — Effects  of  his 
eloquent  addresses — A  second  tour  to  the  South — Letter  of  Mr.  C. 
C.  North — Speaks  on  the  Bible,  at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. — Speci- 
men of  his  mode  of  presenting  the  cause — Minutes  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  adopted  upon  his  resignation  of  the  Secretaryship, 
and  also  after  .his  death — Elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Man- 
agers    59 

CHAPTER  ¥.—1844. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church — Its  general  diffusion  through- 
out the  United  States  of  America — The  itinerant  ministry — The 
General  Superintendency  or  Episcopacy — It  also  itinerant — Its  con- 
serving and  unifying  effects — The  ninth  delegated  General  Confer- 
ence assembles  at  New  York,  May  I,  1844 — Slavery  in  the  ministry 
and  the  Episcopacy — Bishop  James  O.  Andrew — Inquiries  instituted 
into  Bishop  Andrew's  connection  with  Slavery — Efforts  at  pacifica- 
tion unavailing — Bishop  Andrew  suspended — Protest  of  the  South- 
ern delegates — Plan  of  Separation — Mr.  Janes's  relation  to  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  as  a  spectator — L.  L.  Hamline  and  E.  S.  Janes 
elected  Bishops — Action  of  the  Bishops  with  regard  to  Bishop  An- 
drew— Bishop  Janes's  position  on  Slavery — Henceforth  a  wanderer 
over  the  earth 75 

CHAPTER  VI.— 1844-1848. 

Begins  his  episcopal  work — The  New  England  his  first  Confer- 
ence— Calls  at  the  Ohio  Conference  on  his  way  South — The  Ken- 
tucky Conference,  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky. — Favorable  notices  of  his 
presidency — True  to  the  antislavery  chapter  in  the  Discipline — 
Tennessee  Conference — Anecdote  of  his  preaching  related  by  the 
Rev.  E.  Osborn — Crossing  the  Cumberland  Mountains — Convention 
of  delegates  from  the  Southern  Conferences  at  Louisville,  Ky. — 
Separation  recognized  as  an  accomplished  fact,  and  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  organized — Bishops  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  except  Bishops  Soule  and  Andrew,  withdraw 
from  presiding  in  Conferences  of  the  Church  South — Maine  Confer- 
ence— Visits  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland — Troy  Conference — 
Black  River  Conference — Genesee  Conference — Home  letters — First 
tour  to  the  North-west — Internal  progress — Relations  to  the  local 
work  of  New  York  city  and  vicinity Ql 


CONTENTS.  v 

CHAPTER  VII. -1848-1850. 

The  General  Conference  of  1848,  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa. — The  Plan 
of  Separation  reviewed  and  declared  null  and  void — The  General 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  at  Peters- 
burgh,  Va.,  in  1846 — Dr.  Lovick  Pierce,  fraternal  delegate  to  the 
Pittsburgh  General  Conference,  declines  recognition  except  in  his 
official  capacity — An  offer  to  submit  the  property  question  to  arbi- 
tration— Final  settlement  by  the  United  States  Courts — Sketch  of 
Bishop  Janes  in  "  Zion's  Herald  " — Sessions  of  the  Black  River  and 
Oneida  Conferences — Address  to  candidates  for  ordination — A  touch- 
ing incident,  showing  his  kindliness — Mount  Vernon  Cottage,  near 
Mendham,  N.  J. — Letters  from  the  children  and  Mrs.  Janes  to  the 
Bishop — Rock  River  Conference,  Mount  Morris,  111. — Iowa  Confer- 
ence, Iowa  City,  la. — Madison  and  Keosauqua,  la. — Letter  from 
Churchville,  Mo. — From  St.  Louis,  Mo. — From  Peoria,  111. — Sick, 
and  travels  with  difficulty — Indiana  Conference — Several  descrip- 
tions of  the  Bishop's  person  and  work I IO 

CHAPTER  VIII.— 1850-1852. 

Family  removed  for  the  summer  to  Succasunny  Plains,  N.  J. — A 
farm  purchased  in  the  neighborhood  of  Morristown,  N.  J.,  for  a 
summer  home,  hereafter  known  as  Mount  Wesley — Letter  to  Mrs. 
Janes  from  Wheeling,  Va. — Letters  from  home  to  the  receding 
father  and  husband — The  Pittsburgh  Conference — Arduous  labors 
— A  letter  to  Dr.  Howe,  from  Wellsville,  O. — The  Erie,  North 
Ohio,  North  Indiana,  and  Ohio  Conferences— Recuperation  of  the 
Church — Bishop  Hedding's  feebleness — Bishop  Hamline's  illness 
and  inability  to  work — The  entire  supervision  of  the  Conferences 
falls  upon  Bishops  Waugh,  Morris,  and  Janes — Extraordinary  labors 
of  Bishop  Janes— He  preaches  at  the  Baltimore  Conference  in  the 
spring  of  1851— The  Providence,  New  Jersey  New  England,  New 
York,  New  York  East,  Troy,  Vermont,  East  Maine,  Black  River, 
Oneida.  East  Genesee,  and  Genesee  Conferences,  a  record  of  toil — 
Missionary  tour  with  Dr.  Durbin,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
Missionary  Society— Letters  home — Death  of  Dr.  Stephen  Olin — 
Letter  to  a  young  minister — Appoints  Prof.  H.  C.  Benson  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  Pacific  coast I3I 

CHAPTER  IX.— 1852,  1853. 

The  Baltimore  Conference,  at  Cumberland,  Md.— Last  visit  to 
Bishop  Hedding,  and  his  admiration  for  him — The  General  Confer- 


vi  CONTENTS. 

cnce  at  Boston,  Mass. — "  Pewed  "  and  "  free"  seat  churches — The 
new  Chapter  on  Missions — Bishop  Hamline's  resignation  accepted 
by  the  General  Conference — The  Methodist  Episcopacy  an  office 
and  not  an  order — Bishop  Janes  thinks  of  resigning — Election  of 
Bishops  Scott,  Simpson,  and  Ames — Letters  from  the  sessions  of 
the  Troy,  Ohio,  and  Cincinnati  Conferences — From  St.  Louis, 
Mo. — From  Pittsburgh  homeward — In  the  spring  of  1853  he  holds 
the  Providence,  New  Hampshire,  Maine,  East  Maine,  Genesee,  Cin- 
cinnati, and  Kentucky  Conferences — He  assists  Bishop  Morris  at 
the  Philadelphia  Conference — Forty-sixth  birthday — Perseverance  in 
making  a  train — Letter  from  the  chair  of  Conference  to  his  daugh- 
ter Tillie 149 

CHAPTER  X.— 1853-1855. 

Mount  Wesley — The  Bishop  at  his  country  home,  as  seen  by  Rev. 
William  Day — The  family  carriage — Room  for  one  more — The  esti- 
mate placed  upon  him  by  his  neighbors — The  Bishop  carting  stones 
for  a  new  church — Knows  how  to  drive  oxen — Moral  effect — The 
sick  pastor  taken  to  his  house — The  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Janes  in  con- 
versation— Time  spent  in  prayer — There  will  be  rest  enough  in 
heaven — Methodism  in  New  Mexico  and  India — Cincinnati  Confer- 
ence— In  Boston — Assists  Bishop  Ames  at  Baltimore  and  Phila- 
delphia Conferences — Presides  at  New  Jersey  Conference — Death 
of  his  father — Conferences  in  Northern,  Central,  and  Western  New 
York — Letters — To  the  three  older  children  at  Amenia  Seminary — 
Books  the  best  companions — Giving  and  working  to  pay  Church 
debts — Hard  fare  in  Boston — Dedication  at  Ilaverhill,  Mass.,  and 
Tract  anniversary  at  Portland,  Me. — Thoughtfulness  for  a  young 
minister  and  his  bride — Yankee  thrift — Providence  Conference — 
Newark  Conference; — New  Hampshire,  New  York,  and  New  York 
East  Conferences — The  Prohibitory  Liquor  Law  in  Maine — The 
North-west  again  ;  Chicago  and  Evanston,  111.,  and  Racine,  Wis. — 
Women  applying  for  admission  to  the  Wisconsin  Conference — Rock 
River,  Southern  Illinois,  and  Illinois  Conferences — Personal  refer- 
ences— The  days  of  his  courtship  recalled 166 

CHAPTER  XL— 1856. 

A  letter  on  the  beauty  of  day-break  in  March — The  "Baltimore 
Conference — Sermon  to  local  preachers — New  England  Conference 
— In  Cincinnati,  preparing  for  the  approaching  General  Conference, 
and  assisting  Messrs.  Arthur  and  Scott  in  collecting  funds  for  Irish 


CONTENTS.  vii 

Methodism — General  Conference  at  Indianapolis,  Ind. — Excitement 
on  the  question  of  Slavery — The  Bishop's  solicitude — The  General 
Rule  on  the  subject  not  changed — Dr.  Hannah  and  Mr.  Jobson, 
fraternal  delegates  from  the  British  Wesleyan  Conference — Desig- 
nated to  visit  the  work  on  the  Pacific  coast — Presides  over  the  Up- 
per Iowa,  Illinois,  and  North-west  Indiana  Conferences — Letters 
to  the  several  members  of  his  family  while  in  the  West — Regards 
himself  as  a  poor  conversationalist — A  remarkable  instance  of  lib- 
eral giving — Amusing  sick  people 191 

CHAPTER  XII.— 1857-1859. 

The  session  of  the  Baltimore  Conference — Official  visit  to  the 
Pacific  coast — Oregon  and  California  Mission  Conference — Anec- 
dote of  Bishop  Ames — Letters  to  his  son — Overland  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Salem,  Oregon — A  wicked  land,  but  the  Church  progress- 
ing— Returns  by  sea  to  San  Francisco  — Indian  missions — Return  to 
New  York — Death  of  Bishop  Waugh — Preaches  his  funeral  sermon 
in  Baltimore — Assists  at  the  Baltimore  and  East  Baltimore  Confer- 
ences— Missionary  anniversary  at  Washington,  D.  C. — Writes  to 
Tillie  of  his  inability  to  sing — In  the  far  West — Holds  the  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  and  Missouri  Conferences — Preaches  in  St.  Louis — 
Dedication  of  St.  Paul's  Church  in  New  York — The  East  Maine 
Conference — Anecdote  about  himself — Yearning  that  God  may  call 
more  young  men  into  the  ministry — Burdens  of  his  office — Bishops 
meet  at  Cleveland — Remarkable  sermon  at  the  Ohio  Conference — 
The  Texas  Conference,  at  Bonham,  Texas,  interrupted  by  a  mob,  and 
the  Bishop  ordered  to  leave  the  State — His  heroic  behavior. ...  210 

CHAPTER  XIII.— 1859-1861. 

New  York  and  New  York  East  Conferences — Letter  to  Mrs. 
Janes — Upper  Iowa  and  Peoria  Conferences — Cleaving  to  Christ 
— Letter  from  the  Michigan  Conference  to  Miss  Elizabeth — Invited 
to  make  his  residence  in  Baltimore — Declines — Meets  the  Pitts- 
burgh, New  England,  East  Maine,  and  Vermont  Conferences — 
General  Conference  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y. — Prosperity  in  every  depart- 
ment of  Church  work — Slavery  and  Lay  Delegation  the  important 
topics — The  people  to  have  lay  representation  whenever  they  vote 
to  have  it — The  proposal  to  change  the  General  Rule  on  Slavery 
again  fails — The  Chapter  on  Slavery  altered — No  word  from  the 
Bishop  on  the  subject — Presides  in  the  autumn  over  the  Erie,  Iowa, 
Central  Ohio,  and  Rock  River  Conferences — Miss  Lizzie  accompanies 


viii  CONTENTS. 

him  on  the  Western  tour — A  day  emblematic  of  life,  a  letter  to  Tillie 
on  her  thirteenth  birthday — Trouble  on  the  border;  secession 
of  a  majority  of  the  Baltimore  Conference  on  account  of  the  new 
Chapter  on  Slavery — Bishop  Janes  meets  the  Philadelphia  Confer- 
ence ;  secession  here  also — Seeking  and  glorifying  God  his  highest 
joy — North  Indiana,  New  Hampshire,  and  Oneida  Conferences — A 
good  story  on  himself — Longing  for  Mount  Wesley 230 

CHAPTER  XIV.— 1861-1863. 

Official  visit  to  Europe — Bremen,  Germany — The  German  Con- 
ference— Alludes  to  the  civil  war  in  the  United  States — Copenhagen 
— Berlin — Zurich — Paris  ;  Dr.  M'Clintock — Is  present  at  the  Wes- 
leyan  Conference  in  London — Promotes  correct  views  of  the  war 
in  America — At  home  again,  and  presides  in  the  autumn  over  the 
Ohio  and  North  Ohio  Conferences — Attends  the  meeting  of  the 
Bishops  at  Springfield,  O. — Baltimore  Conference  in  1862,  a  very 
critical  period — Comforted  in  trying  to  do  right — Addresses  the  class- 
leaders  of  Baltimore — The  New  Jersey,  New  England,  and  New  York 
East  Conferences — Death  of  Dr.  Nathan  Bangs — The  Christian  Com- 
mission— The  North-west — Upper  Iowa,  West  Wisconsin,  North-west 
Wisconsin,  Wisconsin,  and  Illinois  Conferences — Letter  to  Miss 
Lizzie  on  patriotism  and  the  work  of  woman  in  preserving  the 
nation — Model  house-keeping — Letter  to  Mrs.  Gov.  Wright,  (then 
Mrs.  Deuel)  —  Assists  Dr.  Durbin  in  the  missionary  work — The 
Pittsburgh,  Providence,  Wyoming,  and  Black  River  Conferences — 
Leaves  for  a  second  official  tour  to  the  Pacific  Coast — Painful  con- 
flict because  of  the  illness  of  his  youngest  daughter — Letters  from 
the  ship  to  his  daughters — Arrives  in  San  Francisco — Santa  Clara 
— Overland  to  Oregon — Letters  from  Oregon — From  Yreka  and 
Napa  City,  Cal. — Overland  route  homeward 247 

CHAPTER   XV.— 1863-1865. 

Death  of  his  daughter  Tillie — Her  fervent  piety — The  effect  of 
her  death  on  the  Bishop — His  hopefulness — A  remarkable  letter  to 
his  departed  daughter — A  Lay-delegation  Convention  in  New  York 
— Engrossed  with  the  work  of  the  Christian  Commission — Visits 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac — General  Conference  at  Philadelphia, 
1864 — Cheerful  review  of  the  Church's  work  by  the  Bishops — Th« 
sword  cuts  the  knot  of  Slavery,  and  the  General  Rule  is  changed  to 
forbid  slave-holding — Lay  Representation  again  referred  to  the 
people— Bishops  Clark,  Thomson,  and  Kingsley  elected— The  Rev. 


CONTENTS.  ix 

W.  L.  Thornton,  A.M.,  fraternal  delegate  from  the  English  Wes- 
leyans — Testimony  of  President  Lincoln  to  the  loyalty  and  services 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church — Organizes  the  first  Conference 
of  colored  ministers — Western  Conferences — Declines  to  drink  liquor 
on  a  railroad  train,  and  gains  the  respect  of  a  prominent  man  by 
his  refusal— In  company  with  Bishop  Lee,  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church,  again  visits  the  Army  of  the  Potomac — A  narrow 
escape — Tries  to  get  access  to  the  Union  prisoners  at  Richmond, 
but  fails— West  Virginia  and  Newark  Conferences— Appointed  by 
the  General  Conference  as  fraternal  delegate  to  the  English  and 
Irish  Wesleyan  Conferences — Again  designated  to  meet  the  Ger- 
many and  Switzerland  Mission  Conferences — Also  sent  as  a  dele- 
gate from  the  American  Bible  Society  to  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society — Warm  reception  in  London 267 

CHAPTER  XVI.— 1865-1868. 

Speaks  at  the  Anniversary  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society — 
Allusion  to  the  sympathy  of  the  English  people  with  the  Americans 
in  the  death  of  President  Lincoln — Reference  to  his  address  before 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society — Goes  to  the  Continent — 
Through  France  to  Basle,  Switzerland — Dr.  Merle  D'Aubigne  at 
Geneva,  and  Fletcher's  birthplace  at  Nyon — Letter  to  Miss  Janes, 
from  Bremen  ;  also  from  Dublin  and  Belfast — Dr.  Robinson  Scott — 
Omagh — Giant's  Causeway — Goes  to  Scotland  and  Birmingham, 
(  England,)  and  visits  the  English  Conference,  Rev.  William  Arthur, 
President — Invited  to  preach  the  annual  sermon  in  place  of  the 
ex-president — Congratulated  on  his  return  to  America  on  the  exe- 
cution of  his  mission — Gov.  Wright,  Embassador  to  the  Court  of 
Prussia — Letter  to  Mrs.  Wright  about  establishing  a  Methodist 
chapel  at  Berlin — In  the  autumn  of  1865  holds  the  Genesee,  Illinois, 
and  Iowa  Conferences,  and  in  1866  the  Troy,  East  German,  East 
Maine,  East  Genesee,  Genesee,  Central  German,  and  South-east  In- 
diana Conferences — Centenary  of  American  Methodism — The  Gen- 
eral Committee  at  Cleveland,  O. — The  great  meetings  at  St.  Paul's, 
New  York — His  speeches — New  Jersey,  New  York,  Black  River, 
Erie,  Delaware,  East  Genesee,  Detroit,  Genesee.  Upper  Iowa,  and 
North-west  Indiana  Conferences — April,  1867,  completes  his  sixtieth 
year — Death  of  Gov.  Wright — His  preaching  at  Denville,  N.  J., 
camp-meeting — A  re-union  of  the  Indiana,  North-west  Indiana, 
and  South-east  Indiana  Conferences  at  Indianapolis — Organizes 
new  Conferences  in  the  South — Philadelphia  and  New  York  East 
1* 


x  CONTENTS. 

Conferences — Speech  at  the  re-union  of  the  New  York  and  New 
York  East  Conferences — Dedication  of  St.  John's  Church,  Brook- 
lyn, E.  D 282 

CHAPTER  XVII.— 1868-1870. 

The  General  Conference  at  Chicago,  111. — He  gives  an  account  of 
his  visit  to  the  English  and  Irish  Wesleyan  Conferences — Forecasts 
the  Ecumenical  Conference — Lay  Representation — The  Church  Ex- 
tension and  Freedmen's  Aid  Societies  recognized  and  adopted — A 
fragment  of  a  diary — Sermon  at  the  Sing  Sing  Camp-meeting — 
WQdercliffe,  Miss  Garrettson's  residence  on  the  Hudson — The  bur- 
den of  the  work  in  the  South — Calls  on  General  Grant,  President 
elect — Jubilee  of  the  Parent  Missionary  Society  at  Washington — 
His  speech  on  the  occasion — South  Carolina  Conference — Twenty- 
fifth  year  of  episcopal  service — Fraternization  with  different  Meth- 
odist bodies — Bishops  Janes  and  Simpson  wait  upon  the  Bishops  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  at  St.  Louis — They  are 
kindly  received,  but  official  fraternization  declined — The  Delaware, 
East  Genesee,  North  Ohio,  Central  Ohio,  and  Ohio  Conferences — 
Death  of  Dr.  Heman  Bangs — Great  missionary  speech  at  Boston — 
Prayer  in  the  United  States  Senate — Southern  sea-board  Confer- 
ences— South  Carolina  Legislature — Wilmington,  Pittsburgh,  Wy- 
oming, and  New  York  Conferences — Death  of  Dr.  John  M'Clintock, 
Mr.  William  W.  Cornell,  and  Bishops  Thomson  and  Kingsley — His 
acute  sorrow  for  his  deceased  friends — Letter  of  sympathy  from 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Punshon 330 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— 1870-1871. 

The  Bishop's  family  separated — Letter  to  his  "  beloved  bride" — 
Visit  to  Wesleyan  University — Letter  to  Miss  Janes  while  in  Europe 
— Also  to  Dr.  Thomas  Sewall,  on  his  death-bed — Cincinnati  Confer- 
ence— Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  J.  Baker,  of  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y. — Likens  him- 
self to  a  little  spent  bird — Upper  Iowa  Conference — Bible  holiness — 
Eight  Conferences  in  eight  weeks — Sixty-four  years  old — Address 
at  the  Vermont  Conference — Dedication  of  St.  James  Church,  New 
York — Death  of  Bishop  Clark — "The  Book  Concern  trouble" — 
Third  official  visit  to  the  Pacific  coast — Letters  from  Colorado  and 
Oregon— Letter  on  his  homeward  journey  from  St.  Joseph,  Mo. — 
All  his  wanderings  must  end  in  heaven — Michigan,  Genesee,  and 
Ohio  Conferences — The  South-west — Texas,  Louisiana,  and  Missis- 
sippi Conferences — Incidents  by  the  way — The  Bishop  in  prayer 
at  midnight — Death  of  Bishop  Baker 331 


CONTENTS.  xi 


CHAPTER  XIX.— 1872-1875. 

Washington,  East  German,  Troy,  New  Hampshire,  and  Maine 
Conferences — Letter  to  a  returned  missionary — Anniversary  of  the 
Freedmen's  Aid  Society — General  Conference  of  1872 — Admission 
of  lay  delegates — Bishop  Janes  taken  ill — Election  of  eight  additional 
Bishops — First  vacation — The  Bishop  a  wary  traveler — Home  letters 
— North-west  Indiana  Conference — Helps  Bishop  Peck  at  Central 
New  York  Conference — Letter  to  Mrs.  Gov.  Wright — Again  meets 
the  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and  Washington  Conferences — Vermont 
Conference — Assurances  of  friendship  from  his  brethren — Boards  of 
the  Church — Committees  on  Missions  and  Church  Extension — East 
German,  New  England,  New  Hampshire,  and  East  Maine  Confer- 
ences— Committee  on  Fraternization  \with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  well  received — Methodist  fraternization  camp-meeting 
at  Round  Lake,  N.  Y. — An  atmosphere  of  holy  charity — Views  of 
Church  progress — Personal  experience — Death  of  Dr.  T.  M.  Eddy 
— Re-interment  of  the  Rev.  John  Summerfield's  remains 352 

CHAPTER  XX.— 1875,   1876. 

The  Wilmington  and  the  Delaware  Conferences — Father  Boehm's 
centennial — Death  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Wakeley — Board  of  Bishops  at  Chi- 
cago— Resting  at  Clifton  Springs — North-west  Indiana  Conference — 
Powerful  exhortation — Educational  Convention  at  Indianapolis — 
Cheers  ministers  who  are  raising  money  for  Church  debts  and  build- 
ing— Sudden  illness  of  Mrs.  Janes — Letter  from  Dr.  Robinson  Scott 
— Newark  Conference — General  Conference  at  Baltimore — Leaves 
his  sick  wife  for  the  post  of  official  duty — Daily  letters  to  the  invalid 
—The  Episcopal  Address — His  labor  in  preparing  it— The  effect  of 
its  delivery,  and  the  estimate  formed  of  it — The  presiding-elder 
question — The  Rev.  James  A.  Duncan  and  Landon  C.  Garland, 
I.L.D.,  fraternal  delegates  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South — Commissions  from  the  two  Churches  appointed  to  meet  at 
Cape  May,  N.  J. — Round  Lake  camp-meeting — Delaware  Confer- 
ence his  last  Conference— Death  of  Mrs.  Janes — Her  character — A 
tribute  from  Mrs.  Dickinson — The  Bishop's  last  sermon — Maple- 
wood,  N.  J. — Returns  to  New  York  and  is  seized  with  a  fatal  sick- 
ness— His  last  words — Death — Funeral  services — Addresses  of  Drs. 
Chapman,  Dashiell.  and  Bishop  Simpson — Burial — Respect  for  his 
memory 374 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Completeness  of  Bishop  Janes's  life  and  character — Piety  his  ele- 
ment— Daily  consecration  to  God — Regarded  preaching  as  a  work 
of  supreme  importance — His  high  estimate  of  learning  and  learned 
men — Himself  an  educated  man — His  great  practical  knowledge — 
First  of  all,  an  orator  ;  but  most  of  all,  a  preacher — Personal  expe- 
rience— Conviction  of  the  truth  and  power  of  the  Gospel — His  man- 
ner as  a  speaker — Pastoral  work — Sympathy  with  pastors — His  heart 
his  grandest  preparation  for  the  Episcopacy — Unwearied  patience 
and  care  in  making  the  appointments  of  the  preachers — His  sympa- 
thies did  not  override  his  judgment — His  conscientiousness — Duty 
held  him  in  the  episcopal  office — His  secular  affairs  not  allowed  to 
intrude — His  genius  for  administration — "  Come,"  rather  than 
"  Go  " — No  law  decision  hft  made  ever  reversed — Undertook  bold 
things  for  God — Union  with  all  believers — Domestic  virtues — Love 
of  home — His  position  cannot  yet  be  fully  assigned — A  good  and  a 
great  man 427 


Illustrations. 


BISHOP  JANES  AT  SIXTY-FIVE Frontispiece 

BISHOP  JANES'S  RESIDENCE  AT  MT.  WESLEY,  N.  J.  To  face  166 

BISHOP  JANES  AT  THIRTY-FOUR "       247 

BISHOP  JANES  AT  FIFTY-EIGHT "       374 


TO 

THE   METHODISTS   OF   ALL  LANDS; 

OF  WHOM 

BISHOP  JANES   REJOICED   TO   BE  ONE,   AND   WITH   WHOM    IN   LOVING 
FELLOWSHIP    HE    LIVED    AND   DIED, 

THIS    MEMORIAL, 
OF  HIS  LIFE  AND  SERVICES   IS  AFFECTIONATELY   INSCRIBED 

BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


The  Christian  man    is  a  most  free  lord  of  all,  subject  to 
none.     The  Christian  man  is  a  most  dutiful  servant  of  all, 

subject  to  all. 

Luther  on  Christian  Liberty. 


THE    LIFE 

OF 

EDMUND  STOEEE  JANES,  D,D,,  LLD, 


CHAPTER  I. 

1807-1829. 

Birth — Ancestry — Early  Manhood — Conversion. 

FOR  full  forty  years  there  moved  a  man  through 
the  land,  touching  well-nigh  every  part  of  it 
with  a  personal  force  which  was  recognized  and 
felt  by  all  whom  he  met.  The  impulse  which  his 
presence  imparted  gently  quickened  the  best  senti- 
ments in  his  fellow-beings,  and  left  lingering  in  their 
hearts  purposes  and  plans  for  nobler  things.  As 
to  and  from  the  great  commercial  metropolis  he 
passed  every-where,  answering  incessant  claims,  his 
course  was  not  marked  by  the  noise  of  the  politi- 
cian, the  clatter  of  trade,  or  -the  parade  of  the  war- 
rior ;  simply  and  quietly,  as  a  man  and  a  minister 
of  the  Prince  of  peace,  he  came  and  went. 

His  work  lay  in  the  sphere  of  morals  and  religion. 
His  zeal  was  for  the  highest  good  of  the  race. 
While  possessed  of  a  certain  ascendency  over  men, 
he  used  its  privileges  only  that  he  might  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  truth,  and  be  servant  of  all. 


12  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

It  shall  be  my  aim  in  these  pages  to  give  some 
account  of  this  man.  The  Church  at  large,  as  well 
as  his  own  denomination,  knew  Bishop  Janes  in  his 
official  work.  Beneath  the  high  and  useful  public 
career  there  was  a  heart  the  full  insight  of  which 
but  few  had  while  he  lived,  and  the  revealing  of 
which,  even  very  partially,  cannot  fail  to  lead  to  a 
higher  estimate  of  his  worth. 

There  is  an  instinctive  desire  in  mankind  to  come 
near  to  a  benefactor,  to  ascertain  whence  the  streams 
of  influence  which  have  so  refreshed  them  flowed, 
and  to  see  how  far  the  man  whom  they  have  looked 
at  in  the  distance  is  like  themselves  in  those  things 
in  which  a  nature  common  to  their  own  shows  it- 
self. If  much  of  the  privacy  of  the  life  I  shall  seek 
to  portray  be  presented,  this,  then,  is  my  apology : 
"  We  know  the  Bishop ;  let  us  also  know  the  man." 

Edmund  Storer  Janes  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Sheffield,  Berkshire  County,  Massachusetts,  on  the 
2/th  of  April,  1807.  He  was  the  son  of  Benjamin 
and  Sally  Janes,  respectable  and  industrious  peo- 
ple, who  raised  to  maturity  a  family  of  eight  children, 
five  sons  and  three  daughters.  The  Janes  family 
trace  their  origin,  in  this  country,  as  far  as  to  Will- 
iam Janes,  who  was  born  in  Essex,  England,  during 
the  reign  of  James  I.,  about  the  year  1610.  The 
family  name,  Janes,  is  evidently  the  same  as 
De  Janes  or  De  Jeanes,  and  is  of  Norman  or  French 
origin.  It  is  still  found  in  Kirtling,  county  of  Cam- 


BIRTH — ANCESTRY.  13 

bridge,  connected  with  the  estates  once  belonging 
to  Geoffrey  de  Janes  about  1200  or  1204.  This 
Geoffrey  de  Janes  was  a  crusader,  and  helped  to 
make  Baldwin,  count  of  Flanders,  king  of  Jerusalem. 
While  the  genealogical  links  between  the  noted 
crusader  and  William  Janes  cannot  be  traced,  it  is 
well  ascertained  that  William  was  of  the  Kirtling 
family,  and  that  with  the  John  Davenport  colony 
he  came  out  to  this  country.  The  colony  at  first 
landed  in  Massachusetts,  in  or  near  Boston,  re- 
mained there  eight  months,  and  then,  sailing  for 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  their  chosen  abode,  they  there 
made  their  final  settlement  in  1637.  These  colo- 
nists, in  common  with  many  others,  had  fled  from 
the  persecutions  of  Archbishop  Laud,  to  seek  relig- 
ious freedom  in  the  American  wilderness. 

In  the  colony  at  New  Haven  William  Janes  was 
a  prominent  person.  For  about  seventeen  years  he 
was  a  teacher  of  the  rudiments  of  education  and  of 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  imparting  to  the  children 
of  the  colonists  the  best  intellectual  and  religious 
culture  which  their  limited  facilities  allowed.  "  Vig- 
orous, systematic,  resolute,  and  true  to  every  in- 
stinct of  manhood,  he  was  beloved  and  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him."  * 

*  "  The  Janes  Family.  A  Genealogy  and  Brief  History  ©f  the 
Descendants  of  William  Janes,  the  Emigrant  Ancestor  of  1637,"  by 
the  Rev.  Frederic  Janes.  New  York  :  John  H.  Dingman.  1868. 
From  this  work  these  family  references  are  taken. 


14  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

William  Janes  subsequently,  about  1656,  removed, 
in  company  with  other  "  pioneers  of  liberty,"  to 
Northampton,  Mass.,  in  the  Connecticut  valley. 
Here  he  was  recorder  of  deeds  and  a  teaching  elder, 
and,  in  the  absence  of  the  minister,  conducted  the 
religious  service  of  the  Sabbath.  "  Some  seventeen 
years  later,  when  another  new  colony  was  started 
by  the  people  of  Northampton  and  Hadley,  for 
some  untried  section  farther  up  the  valley,  they 
proposed  to  William  Janes  to  go,  with  his  influence, 
his  talents,  and  his  property,  and  to  be  their  relig- 
ious teacher  and  counselor  in  their  expected  perils. 
He  consented,  as  he  loved  his  mission  of  doing 
good  and  planting  religion  in  every  part  of  the  new 
country  so  soon  to  be  settled."  When  they  had 
reached  the  spot,  Squawkeague,  afterward  known  as 
Northfield,  "  he  preached  his  first  sermon  on  the 
Sabbath  after  their  arrival  under  the  spreading 
branches  of  a  large  oak-tree." 

The  colonists,  however,  on  the  outbreak  of  Phil- 
ip's War,  were  driven  away  by  the  Indians,  and, 
after  losing  some  of  their  number,  fell  back  to  the 
settlement  at  Northampton.  Among  those  slain 
were  Ebenezer  and  Jonathan  Janes,  sons  of  Will- 
iam, lads  of  about  seventeen  and  eighteen  years  of 
age.  Another  attempt  was  made  at  the  settlement 
of  this  spot  about  ten  years  afterward  which  was 
even  more  disastrous.  From  this  time  until  his 
death  William  lived  at  Northampton.  He  died 


BIRTH — ANCESTRY.  15 

September  20,  1690,  "  leaving  behind  a  name  re- 
vered, untarnished,  and  imperishable." 

This  original  William  Janes  was -the  great-great- 
great-grandfather  of  Edmund  Storer.  Of  the  inter- 
vening paternal  ancestors,  the  great-great-grand- 
father William,  and  the  great-grandfather  Michael, 
little  is  known.  Thomas  Janes,  the  grandfather, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  his 
name  being  found  upon  the  roll  of  a  Connecticut 
regiment  of  infantry,  under  Colonel  Moses  Thayer, 
from  January  I,  1777,  to  January,  1782.  After  es- 
caping all  the  perils  of  the  war  he  was  accidentally 
killed  by  the  overturning  of  a  loaded  cart  while  he 
was  engaged  at  work  on  his  farm  in  Wallingford, 
Conn.  He  left  a  widow  with  a  young  family,  the 
oldest  of  whom,  Benjamin,  was  but  twelve  years  of 
age.  Thus  the  father  of  Edmund  Storer  was 
obliged,  when  only  a  lad,  to  become  the  main-stay 
of  his  mother  and  younger  brothers  and  sisters. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner,  and 
early  formed  industrious  habits.  Benjamin  Janes 
married  Miss  Sally  Wood,  of  Chatham,  N.  Y.,  and 
removed  when  quite  young  to  Sheffield,  Mass. 
Here,  as  I  have  stated,  Edmund  Storer  was  born, 
being  the  seventh  generation  from  the  great  emi- 
grant and  pioneer. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  our  subject  was  well 
descended.  He  was  born  of  a  religious  and  heroic 
race.  He  was  heir  to  the  grandest  ideas  and  tradi- 


16  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

tions  which  ever  fell  to  a  human  being.  His  direct 
ancestry  stood  not  alone,  but  were  of  the  company 
of  noble  confessors  who  contended  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  political  and  religious  principles  which 
have  since  shaped  American  institutions,  and  are 
now  molding  the  character  and  directing  the  des- 
tinies of  all  civilized  nations.  The  two  forces  of 
civilization,  Guizot  tells  us,  are  what  the  individ- 
ual gets  from  the  thoughts  and  spirit  of  society, 
and  what  society  derives  from  the  discoveries  and 
enterprise  of  the  individual.  It  is  consequently  of 
advantage  to  a  person  to  be  born  in  a  community 
which  is  fraught  with  great  and  good  principles  and 
which  is  controlled  by  just  and  wise  laws. 

"There  is  a  country  accent,"  says  La  Roche- 
foucauld, "  not  in  speech  only,  but  in  thought,  con- 
duct, character,  and  manner  of  existing,  which  never 
forsakes  a  man.  ...  A  country  where  the  entire 
people  is,  or  even  once  has  been,  laid  hold  of — 
filled  to  the  heart — with  an  infinite  religious  idea, 
has  '  made  a  step  from  which  it  cannot  retrograde.' 
Thought,  conscience,  the  sense  that  man  is  denizen 
of  a  universe,  creature  of  an  eternity,  has  pene- 
trated to  the  remotest  cottage,  to  the  simplest 
heart.  .  .  .  There  is  an  inspiration  in  such  a  people  : 
one  may  say  in  a  more  special  sense,  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Almighty  giveth  them  understanding. 
Honor  to  all  the  brave  and  true ;  everlasting  honor 
to  brave  old  Knox,  (one  of  the  truest  of  the  true !) 


BIRTH — ANCESTRY.  17 

that  in  the  moment  while  he  and  his  cause,  amid 
civil  broils,  in  convulsion  and  confusion,  were  still 
but  struggling  for  life,  he  sent  the  school-master 
forth  to  all  corners,  and  said,  '  Let  the  people  be 
taught :'  ...  His  message,  in  its  true  compass,  was, 
'  Let  men  know  that  they  are  men  ;  created  by  God, 
responsible  to  God ;  who  work  in  any  merest  mo- 
ment of  time  what  will  last  through  eternity ! ' ' 

What  the  great  seer  of  Chelsea,  whose  last  wail 
over  the  falseness  of  the  world  has  only  so  recently 
fallen  upon  our  ear,  wrote  of  Presbyterian  Scotland, 
may  be  with  equal  truth  written  of  Calvinistic  New 
England.  In  this  New  Scotland  of  religious  faith 
and  practice,  of  political  liberty  and  order,  of  public 
schools  and  colleges,  of  thrift  and  enterprise,  young 
Janes  had  his  first  and  forming  years.  As  naturally 
as  the  air  from  the  Berkshire  hills  streamed  into  his 
lungs  did  the  moral  life  of  his  native  State  insinuate 
itself  into  his  soul.  Nor  can  I  overlook  nor  lessen, 
for  the  mere  uses  of  illustration,  the  physical  sur- 
roundings upon  which  he  first  gazed  and  in  the 
midst  of  which  he  was  reared. 

Berkshire  County  is  noted  for  its  picturesque  scen- 
ery. There  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  land  a  more 
beautiful  valley  than  that  of  the  Housatonic,  stretch- 
ing from  the  town  of  Lenox,  Mass.,  on  the  north,  to 
that  of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  on  the  south.  In  the  dis- 
tance northward  can  be  seen  the  Saddle-back  Mount- 
ains, reaching  their  highest  point  in  old  Gray  Lock, 


1 8  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

whence  they  fall  away  in  all  directions  in  gentle  un- 
dulations. Near  by  the  hills  rise  in  sufficiently  vary- 
ing heights  to  impart  a  sense  of  grandeur,  while  the 
river  winds  and  rushes  in  its  gravelly  bed  through 
meadows  studded  with  the  graceful  elm,  and  of  glossy 
smoothness.  This  valley  has  ever  been  the  favorite 
resort  and  home  of  poets  and  orators,  and  of  people 
of  culture  and  leisure.  Here  Miss  Catherine  Sedg- 
wick  ,was  born  and  lived ;  here  also  William  Cullen 
Bryant  spent  his  early  manhood ;  here  Orville  Dewey, 
the  famous  Unitarian  preacher,  whose  lectures  on 
"  Beauty  "  were  rapturously  received,  loved  to  linger 
through  the  long  summer  days ;  here,  too,  the  intel- 
lectual T.  F.  R.  Mercein,  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  whose  marvelous  promise  as  theolo- 
gian and  preacher  was  cut  short  by  death  in  the  very 
town  where  young  Janes  was  born,  conceived  some 
of  his  most  suggestive  theories. 

Mr.  Bryant,  referring  to  his  reminiscences  of  this 
region,  says :  "  It  was  on  the  third  of  October, 
in  the  year  I  have  mentioned,  (1816,)  that  I  made 
the  journey  thither  from  Cummington.  The  woods 
were  in  all  the  glory  of  autumn,  and  I  well  remember, 
as  I  passed  through  Stockbridge,  how  much  I  was 
struck  by  the  beauty  of  the  smooth  green  meadows 
on  the  banks  of  a  lovely  river  which  winds  near 
the  Sedgwick  mansion,  the  Housatonic,  and  whose 
gently-flowing  waters  seemed  tinged  with  the  gold 
and  crimson  of  the  trees  that  overhung  them. 


BOYHOOD.  19 

I  admired  no  less  the  contrast  between  this  soft 
scene  and  the  steep,  craggy  hills  that  overlooked 
them,  clothed  with  their  many-colored  forests.  I 
had  never  before  seen  the  southern  part  of  Berk- 
shire, and  congratulated  myself  on  becoming  an 
inhabitant  of  so  picturesque  a  region." 

Amid  these  scenes  of  natural  beauty  the  boy 
Edmund  grew  up.  While  he  was  quite  young  his 
father  moved  a  little  way  down  the  valley  to  the 
town  of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  where  he  added  to  his 
trade  of  carpenter  the  peaceful  pursuit  of  farmer. 
Here  Edmund's  youth  was  spent,  alternating  in  at- 
tendance upon  the  district  school  and  in  whole- 
some work  upon  the  farm.  In  the  one  he  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  after  mental  culture,  and  on  the 
other,  in  tough  encounter  with  the  soil,  the  founda- 
tion of  the  sinewy  and  elastic  body  which  became 
subsequently  the  physical  basis  of  well-nigh  super- 
human tasks.  Long  years  subsequently,  when  on  a 
visit  to  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood,  he  wrote  to  his 
own  son:  "I  saw  the  stone-wall  (fence)  which  I 
helped  to  build  when  I  was  a  lad."  In  these  rough, 
homely  pursuits  the  physical  culture  received,  while 
important,  was  not  the  highest  benefit  arising;  he 
was  trained  in  habits  of  self-help.  He  learned 
to  wait  on  himself,  to  be  mindful  of  others,  and 
thoughtful  in  little  things.  There  is  no  evidence 
at  hand  that  his  schooling  went  further  than  was 
afforded  by  the  facilities  of  the  neighborhood. 


2o  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

But  to  have  had  the  education  of  a  godly,  frugal,  and 
industrious  New  England  home,  associated  and  in- 
terwoven with  his  knowledge  of  plain  English,  was 
a  good  starting-point  for  a  youth  of  those  days. 
He  needed  only  the  mastership  of  a  district  school 
to  put  him  forward  on  the  high  road  to  profes- 
sional studies ;  and  that,  tco,  soon  came. 

During  all  these  days  of  spelling-book  and  gram- 
mar there  was  at  work  upon  young  Janes's  heart 
the  genial  and  plastic  influence  of  a  wise  and  de- 
vout mother.  Of  her  we  know  but  little,  yet  her 
character  is  easy  to  learn,  not  only  from  what  he 
became,  but  also  from  his  private  references  to 
her  piety  and  the  high  estimate  and  tender  re- 
gard he  ever  manifested  for  woman's  nurture  and 
a  mother's  influence.  In  an  old  manuscript  on 
"  Female  Education  "  —  one  of  his  very  earliest, 
judging  from  the  rough,  yellow,  torn  paper  and  the 
neat  chirography — speaking  of  the  mother,  he  says : 
"  The  empire  of  the  mind  is  equally  subject  to  her 
sway.  The  mother  is  the  first  book  the  child  ever 
reads.  Her  loving  smile,  her  actions,  her  accents, 
compose  the  first  alphabet  the  child  ever  learns. 
It  is  an  alphabet  of  hieroglyphics  —  every  sign 
stands  for  a  separate  idea.  Corresponding  to  their 
nature  and  influence  will  be  the  character  and 
direction  of  the  shooting  ideas.  How  important, 
then,  that  this  first  book  be  a  good  one.  .  .  .  The 
peculiar  character  of  the  mother  gives  her  great 


EARLY  MANHOOD.  21 

fitness  to  attain  and  maintain  ascendency  over  the 
child.  In  her  tenderness  the  child  always  finds 
sympathy ;  in  her  goodness  the  child  always  finds 
a  disposition  to  relieve  and  bless ;  and  in  her  mater- 
nal affection  one  who  is  interested  in  its  happiness. 
Her  versatility  of  character  enables  her  to  accom- 
modate herself  to  all  the  calls  and  circumstances  of 
her  offspring,  and  her  patience  enables  her  to  bear 
with  all  its  perverseness  and  weakness  and  wants." 
Such  language  shows  he  was  speaking  from  experi- 
ence, and  that  likely  the  original  of  the  picture  was 
his  own  mother. 

It  appears  that  Mr.  Janes  began  his  first  efforts 
at  teaching  when  about  seventeen  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Ludlow  E.  Lapham,  of  Penn  Yan,  N.  Y.,  says  in 
a  letter  of  March  5,  1878  : 


In  the  summer  of  1824  Mr.  Janes  taught  a  district  school  at 
Ancram  Furnace,  in  Livingston's  Manor,  Columbia  County, 
N.  Y.  It  was  my  fortune  to  succeed  him  the  following  win- 
ter. He  was  then  a  youth  just  budding  into  manhood.  He 
was  very  successful  in  the  calling,  and  in  gaining  the  good- 
will and  esteem  of  scholars  and  patrons.  He  infused  the 
sweet  and  lovely  charm  among  scholars,  patrons,  and  the 
neighborhood  that  I  have  ever  found  following  him  in  his  sub- 
sequent history.  Later  in  life  we  met  at  the  Conference  in 
this  place,  where  we  talked  of  the  old  school  district  and  the 
families,  namely,  Judge  Tremain's,  John  S.  Harris's,  J.  A. 
Coon's,  and  Allen  Sheldon's.  ...  I  think  he  told  me  he  was 
converted  at  that  school-house,  but  I  am  not  sure.  Revs. 
Miller  and  Lovejoy  were  the  circuit  preachers,  and  held  their 
meetings  there.  Again  I  met  him  in  the  streets  of  New  York, 
2 


22  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

and  our  conversation  would  revert  to  the  early  school-house ; 
he  seemed  to  fix  it  as  the  beginning  of  his  Christian  life. 

Mr.  Janes  continued  to  teach  in  different  dis- 
tricts in  his  native  region  for  about  five  years.  One 
of  the  schools  was  near  Dover  Plains,  in  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.  The  Rev.  Elbert  Osborn,  late  of 
the  New  York  Conference,  speaking  of  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  church  in  this  village,  which  occurred 
in  1854  or  1855,  says :  "  Our  host  was  a  young  con- 
vert who  had  been  once  a  pupil  of  Mr.  Janes's  be- 
fore he  entered  the  ministry  and  when  he  was 
teaching  a  district  school  in  that  vicinity.  It  was 
very  pleasant  to  both  of  them  to  call  up  the  inci- 
dents of  former  days.  The  good  brother  took  us  in 
his  conveyance  to  the  school-house  where  the 
Bishop  had  formerly  taught,  and  there  we  looked 
at  the  place  where  he  used  to  study  his  Bible  in 
the  intervals  of  teaching." 

The  date  of  Mr.  Janes's  conversion  cannot  be 
definitely  fixed.  It  was  evidently  at  some  time  dur- 
ing the  five  years  that  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  in 
soihe  one  of  these  district  schools.  Previous  to  his 
conversion  he  had  been  somewhat  skeptical,  and 
when  converted  he  did  not  unite  with  the  Church 
until  careful  inquiry  into  its  doctrines  and  discipline. 
As  the  itinerant  preachers  passed  his  school-house 
door  in  their  rounds  upon  the  circuit,  he  would 
stop  them  and  ply  them  with  questions,  thus  early 
showing  his  desire  for  knowledge  and  his  love 


CONVERSION.  23 

of  accuracy.  The  Rev.  Phineas  Cook,  an  aged 
preacher,  is  said  to  have  mentioned  the  incident 
that  when  on  one  occasion  he  was  going  by  the 
school-house  Mr.  Janes  came  out  with  the  Method- 
ist Discipline  in  hand,  with  his  finger  upon  the 
word  "  preventing,"  in  the  Eighth  Article,  (on  Free- 
will,) and  asked  its  meaning  in  that  relation.  The 
preacher  requested  him  to  bring  his  dictionary,  and 
then  showed  him  the  different  senses  in  which  the 
term  was  used,  and  explained  its  fitness  in  the  re- 
lation in  which  it  appeared  in  the  Discipline. 

The  Rev.  J.  K.  Peck,  of  Wyoming  Conference,  in 
a  paper  on  Bishop  Janes,  read  at  a  district  meeting 
in  Guilford,  N.  Y.,  November,  1876,  states,  upon 
the  authority  of  Mrs.  George  Devine,  residing  in, 
Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  who  was  a  companion  of 
Mr.  Janes  in  his  early  life,  that  during  most  of 
those  years  in  which  he  taught  school  "  he  was 
known  by  his  intimate  friends  as  an  unbeliever  in 
the  Christian  religion,  and  that  he  regarded  himself 
as  somewhat  of  a  poet."  Mr.  Peck  further  states : 
"  I  have  in  my  possession  two  manuscript  poems 
written  by  him  in  the  year  1827.  They  are  written 
upon  coarse  paper,  the  size  of  foolscap,  without  any 
sign  of  ruling  either  stamped  or  with  pencil,  yet  the 
lines  are  remarkably  regular  and  straight,  and  of 
uniform  distance  apart.  ...  I  received  them  from 
Mrs.  George  Devine.  .  .  .  She  had  preserved  them 
very  carefully  through  all  these  years.  They,  of 


24  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  J.vx;-;s. 

course,  became  the  more  valued  after  her  former 
young  friend  became  a  D.  D.  and  a  Bishop." 

These  manuscripts  lie  before  me.  The  longer  one 
is  headed  thus  :  "  Lines  composed  extempore  at  a 
youth's (carried  on  exclusively  by  young  con- 
verts,) June  10,  1827,  Canaan,"  in  which  the  author 
aimed  at  nothing  more  than  to  express  in  poetic 
form  their  sentiments  as  advanced,  and  as  nearly  as 
practicable  in  the  speakers'  own  language,  merely  to 
aid  his  memory  in  retaining  them  and  their  influ- 
ence on  his  own  mind. 

Mr.  Peck  also  says:  "The  young  man  who  was 
able  to  reason  away  the  truths  that  came  from 
learned  ministers  and  to  ward  off  conviction,  was 
compelled  to  own  '  religion  true  '  while  viewing  such 
a  scene."  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  it  was  soon 
after  this  time  his  conversion  took  place.  It  is 
quite  clear  from  the  testimony  of  Mrs.  Devine,  and 
also  from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Phineas  Cook  traveled 
Salisbury  Circuit  in  1826  and  1827,  that  it  was  in 
1827  that  he  united  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  though  he  may  have  been  the  sub- 
ject of  religious  conviction  before  this.  When 
about  twenty  years  of  age,  and  he  was  anticipat- 
ing entering  upon  the  practice  of  the  law,  for 
which  he  had  been  preparing,  "  God's  solemn  prov- 
idence struck  down  suddenly  his  intended  part- 
ner in  business."  Like  Luther,  whose  companion 
was  smitten  by  lightning  by  his  side  when  on  a 


MENTAL  TRAITS.  25 

journey,  he  was  greatly  alarmed.  "  This  note  of 
conscious  warning  turned  his  attention  from  secular 
to  spiritual  things,  and  determined  his  future  plans 
for  life."  * 

The  manuscripts  of  these  verses  are  of  importance 
simply  as  showing  his  mental  aptitudes  and  habits. 
Of  the  longer  one  Mr.  Peck  states :  "  There  is  one 
blot  on  the  paper  about  the  size  of  the  letter  o  in 
writing,  showing  that  a  drop  of  ink  had  fallen  from 
his  pen  upon  the  paper  while  he  was  writing,  and  an 
effort  made  to  brush  it  off  had  only  enlarged  it.  But 
how  any  one  could  write  extempore  verses  in  such 
a  noisy  meeting  with  pen  and  ink,  and  have  every 
thing  so  perfect  and  correct,  is  a  mystery.  There 
is  not  a  word  or  letter  scratched,  and  only  one  word 
left  out,  and  that  is  the  word  '  meeting '  in  the 
heading.  The  commas  and  periods  and  semicolons 
are  all  in  their  proper  places,  and  the  i's  are  dotted 
and  the  t's  crossed,  and  the  lines  are  as  straight  as 
most  of  us  write  when  our  paper  is  ruled.  The 
faculty  that  he  there  displayed  of  being  composed 
and  correct  in  confusion  and  excitement  has  been 
of  great  help  to  him,  especially  when  presiding  in 
stormy  Conferences." 

Thus  it  appears  that,  like  most  young  people  of  a 
studious  turn  of  mind,  Mr.  Janes  tried  his  wing  at 
poesy.  Afterward,  also,  in  maturer  years  he  occa- 
sionally composed  verses.  Some  of  these  possess 

*  "  The  Janes  Family." 


26  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

the  merit  of  a  smooth  and  an  easy  rhythm,  and 
contain  just  and  devout  sentiments,  but  none  can 
properly  claim  to  be  entitled  poetry.  Though  from 
youth  rich  in  fancy  and  endowed  with  a  keen  sus- 
ceptibility to  beauty,  yet  he  seems  to  have  lacked 
the  original  power  of  interpreting  the  poetical  ele- 
ment of  nature.  Wisely,  therefore,  it  will  be  seen, 
he  confined  himself  to  prose.  He  was  born  an  ora- 
tor, not  a  poet ;  and  he  was  so  sagacious  as  to  rec- 
ognize and  cultivate  his  true  gift,  and  not  to  waste 
his  efforts  upon  an  art  in  which  he  could  never  have 
excelled.  Nothing  was  more  characteristic  of  him 
than  a  sound  and  sober  estimate  of  his  own  talents, 
and  the  good  sense  with  which  he  applied  himself 
in  the  direction  of  his  natural  genius  must  certainly 
be  commended. 


SCHOOL  TEACHER.  27 


CHAPTER  II. 
1829-1836. 

Teacher — Itinerant  Preacher — College  Agent — Marriage. 

r~THHE  years  during  which  Mr.  Janes  taught  in 
-^  the  district  schools  were  eventful  years  to 
him.  While  he  was  training  youth  in  the  rudi- 
ments of  an  English  education,  he  was  training  him- 
self, not  only  in  the  art  of  instruction,  but  also  in 
the  elements  of  law  and  theology.  Like  many 
another  before  and  since,  he  found  his  university  in 
the  simple,  rude  district  school.  There,  in  the  in- 
tervals of  hard  work,  he  snatched  moments  for  the 
side  studies  which  prepared  him  for  speedy  and 
solid  advancement.  In  these  later  times  he  would 
likely  have  gone  from  rudimentary  teaching  to  the 
seminary  and  college ;  but  then  colleges  were  few, 
and  among  the  Methodists  there  were  none.  There 
was  scarcely  a  seminary  of  a  high  grade.  He  could 
only  do  the  next  best  thing.  Having  formed  his 
purpose  to  become  a  lawyer,  he  procured  books 
and  advice  from  a  neighboring  attorney,  and  com- 
menced the  study  of  the  law  in  connection  with  his 
employment  as  teacher.  Just  how  long  he  read 
law,  or  when  he  finally  abandoned  the  purpose  of 


28  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

adopting  it  as  a  profession,  does  not  appear.  Un- 
doubtedly he  would  have  made  an  able  lawyer,  and. 
might  have  risen  to  the  highest  attainments  and 
honors  in  the  profession  :  still  the  time  spent  in  this 
study,  and  the  discipline  and  knowledge  acquired, 
failed  not  to  stamp  his  mind  with  an  eminently 
judicial  character,  and  thus  he  was  all  the  more 
thoroughly  fitted  for  the  responsible  career  which 
afterward  opened  to  him. 

In  1829  he  was  led  to  make  a  change  of  resi- 
dence. The  following  letter  indicates  his  direction. 
It  is  addressed  to  Israel  Crane,  Esq.,  Bloomfield, 
Essex  County,  N.  J.: 

"SALISBURY,  April  20,  1829. 

DEAR  SIR  :  The  bearer,  Mr.  Edmund  S.  Janes,  has  ex- 
pressed to  me  a  wish  to  be  employed  as  an  instructor  of  an 
English  school  in  some  part  of  your  State.  I  have  taken  the 
liberty  to  mention  to  him  yourself,  as  a  gentleman  to  whom  I 
would  advise  him  to  apply  for  assistance  should  he  happen  to 
visit  your  neighborhood.  Mr.  Janes  is  a  young  gentleman 
with  whom  I  have  been  much  acquainted ;  he  has  for  many 
seasons  been  employed  in  this  town  and  vicinity  as  an  in- 
structor of  youth  with  very  great  credit  to  himself  and  advan- 
tage to  his  employers.  He  sustains  a  moral  and  religious 
character  which  has  endeared  him  to  his  friends  here,  and 
should  he  find  employment  in  his  profession  in  your  vicinity,  I 
am  confident  he  would  not  disappoint  the  hopes  of  his  friends. 

To  this  is  added  a  note  from  Mr.  Crane : 

MR.  SAMUEL  I.  RIKER: 

SIR  :  Samuel  Church,  Esq.,  is  a  respectable  gentleman  of 
my  acquaintance  in  the  State  of  Connecticut.  I  should  con- 


PREACHER  ON  TRIAL.  29 

fide  in  his  recommendation  of  the  bearer,  Mr.  Janes.     If  there 
be  any  vacancy  in  the  school  in  your  neighborhood,  and  you 
should  introduce  this  gentleman  as  teacher   I  doubt  not  he 
would  meet  your  expectations. 
"  April  22,  1829." 

While  Mr.  Janes  was  teaching  in  New  Jersey  he 
became  convinced  of  his  duty  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
and  he  was  accordingly  licensed  as  a  local  preacher 
by  the  Quarterly  Conference  of  Belleville  Circuit,  of 
which  the  Rev.  Isaac  Winner  was  preacher  in  charge 
and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Lybrand  presiding  elder.  By 
the  same  Quarterly  Conference  he  was  recommend- 
ed to  the  Philadelphia  Annual  Conference  for  the 
regular  ministry,  and  was  received  "on  trial"  by 
that  body,  April,  1830,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 
His  name  in  the  General  Minutes  stands  eleventh 
in  a  class  of  fifteen.  Among  his  classmates  was  the 
brilliant  James  Nicols,  of  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Mary- 
land. The  Rev.  John  Leonard  Gilder  is  the  only 
classmate  who  survives.  The  Philadelphia  Con- 
ference at  that  time  included  a  large  portion  of 
eastern  Pennsylvania ;  the  peninsula  lying  between 
the  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Bays,  comprising 
the  State  of  Delaware,  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Mary- 
land, and  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Virginia ;  and  also  the 
whole  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  In  the  same  ter- 
ritory there  are  now  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington, 
New  Jersey,  and  Newark  Conferences.  Among  the 

young   preachers  of  the  Conference  were  Charles 

2* 


30  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Pitman,  John  Kennaday,  John  S.  Porter,  R.  M. 
Greenbank,  Levi  Scott,  George  G.  Cookman,  Francis 
Hodgson,  and  Joseph  Holdich.  I  doubt  if  any 
Conference  in  the  land  possessed  a  nobler  corps  of 
young  men,  and  yet  even  among  these  Mr.  Janes 
almost  immediately  became  distinguished. 

The  year  in  which  Mr.  Janes  was  admitted  on 
trial  in  the  "  traveling  connection,"  the  Church  with 
which  he  was  henceforth  to  be  so  closely  identified 
had  but  1 8  Annual  Conferences,  4  Bishops,  476,153 
members,  and  1,900  traveling  preachers.  He  was  to 
live  to  see  it  greatly  extended  and  to  have  no  small 
share  in  its  extension. 

The  first  appointment  of  Mr.  Janes  was  Elizabeth- 
town,  N.  J.,  with  Rev.  Thomas  Morrell,  supernumer- 
ary, in  charge.  Mr.  Morrell  was  one  of  the  wisest 
and  most  highly  esteemed  ministers  of  the  Confer- 
ence. It  was  fortunate  for  the  young  inexperienced 
preacher  to  have  so  devout  and  judicious  a  guide 
in  his  first  beginning.  The  well-nigh  universal  ar- 
rangement of  earlier  Methodism,  whereby  a  novitiate 
in  the  ministry  was  associated  with  an  older  and 
more  experienced  person,  contributed  not  a  little  to 
its  rapid  success  and  thorough  conservation.  "Zeal 
and  sagacity  were  happily  united,  the  dash  and  en- 
terprise of  youth  being  tempered  by  the  modera- 
tion and  caution  of  age. 

Mr.  Janes  entered  upon  his  ministerial  duties  with 
promptness,  and  prosecuted  them  with  much  ear- 


ELIZABETH-TOWN.  31 

nestness.  He  not  only  preached  in  the  principal 
churches,  but  entered  every  open  door,  occupying 
on  week  days  and  evenings  all  the  school-houses 
and  private  dwellings  that  were  offered  for  devo- 
tional services.  He  was  incessant  in  work,  and  high 
in  his  aspirations.  Naught  but  an  inward  fire  which 
was  kindled  of  a  lofty  purpose  could  have  borne  him 
along,  despite  some  marked  physical  disabilities,  to 
the  eminence  which  he  attained.  He  was  made 
for  command,  and  to  reach  command  through  the 
force  of  action.  Temperament  is  the  natural  ground 
of  character,  and  in  itself  must  be  regarded  as  inno- 
cent. It  is  only  as  temperaments  differ  that  deter- 
minate types  of  character  are  possible,  and  it  is 
within  the  sphere  of  temperament  that  divine  grace 
works,  modifying  and  directing  to  the  highest  and 
most  useful  ends. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Sargent,  D.D.,  then  a  very 
young  man,  had  been  transferred  from  the  Phila- 
delphia to  the  Baltimore  Conference  in  the  spring 
of  1830.  He  had  been  the  preacher  at  Elizabeth- 
town  for  1826  and  1827.  He  made  a  visit  to  his 
former  parishioners  soon  after  Mr.  Janes  had  been 
appointed  to  them,  and  he  gives  in  1876  this  pleas- 
ant reminiscence  :  "  My  acquaintance  with  him 
began  June  13,  1830,  when  I  preached  for  him  in 
the  old  forty-feet-square  shingle-boarded  church 
at  Elizabethtown,  in  which  I,  as  his  predecessor, 
had  ministered  for  two  whole  years — Dr.  Holdich 


32  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

having  been  between  us.  ...  I  was  led  to  urge 
our  little  flock  in  Elizabethtown  to  enlarge,  and 
was  seconded  by  Brother  Janes.  He  and  I  on 
Monday  made  a  round  of  our  fold,  and  I  was  deep- 
ly impressed  with  the  modesty,  sweetness,  and  spir- 
ituality of  the  man  and  minister,  and  said, '  Behold, 
how  they  love  him  — both  sheep  and  lambs.'" 
The  acquaintance  which  then  began  between  these 
two  promising  young  ministers  was  soon  afterward 
ripened  into  a  close  friendship,  which  continued 
without  alloy  or  abatement  during  their  whole 
lives.  Of  this  there  will  be  further  proofs. 

Mr.  Janes  was  re-appointed  to  Elizabethtown  in 
1831.  The  following  letter  to  him,  from  the  Rev. 
John  J.  Matthias,  Newark,  November  28,  1831, 
shows  he  was  already  attracting  some  attention  as 
a  speaker  beyond  his  own  charge : 

Our  Sunday-school  celebration  will  be  on  Wednesday  even- 
ing, December  7,  at  six  o'clock.  We  depend  on  you  to  give  a 
speech  on  the  occasion,  and  you  will  please  not  disappoint  us ; 
for  the  meeting  will  be  generally  advertised,  and  we  hope  it 
will  pass  off  well.  We  are  still  going  on  here  after  the  same 
old  sort,  and  need  a  great  deal  of  grace — pray  for  us.  I  wish 
you  would  come  up  in  the  morning  stage  and  come  to  my 
house. 

If  the  young  preacher  began  as  he  finished  his 
ministry,  he  was  at  Newark  on  time  and  spoke. 

Thus  early  was  his  voice  raised  in  the  Sunday- 
school  cause,  a  department  of  Church  work  which 


PREACHER  AT  CONFERENCE.  33 

was  just  then  rising  to  importance,  and  of  which  he 
was  to  be  so  efficient  an  advocate. 

He  attended  the  session  of  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
ference at  Wilmington,  Delaware,  in  the  spring  of 
1832,  and  was  then  ordained  a  deacon,  and  ad- 
mitted into  full  membership  in  the  Conference. 

The  Rev.  John  S.  Porter,  D.D.,  in  a  communica- 
tion, says: 

My  knowledge  of  Mr.  Janes  commenced  in  1832,  when  he 
preached  in  Wilmington,  Delaware,  before  a  large  number  of 
the  members  of  the  Philadelphia  Conference,  to  which  he  had 
been  admitted  into  full  membership  the  day  before.  It  was  a 
surprise  to  many  that  he  should  be  appointed  to  preach  on 
such  an  occasion,  but  when  he  had  performed  the  duty  assigned, 
the  surprise  was  that  he  had  given  such  proof  that  the  appoint- 
ment was  every  way  justified  by  the  ability  displayed.  Taking 
for  his  text,  "  Show  thyself  a  man,"  he  proceeded  to  give  the 
programme  of  his  own  admirable  life,  which  he  filled  out  fully 
in  all  the  years  allotted  to  him. 

At  this  session  Mr.  Janes  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  his  twin  brother,  the  Rev.  E.  L.  Janes,  ad- 
mitted on  trial  by  the  Conference.  Thus  the  two 
brothers  were  to  be  united  for  life  in  the  work  of 
the  Christian  ministry,  having  their  natural  relation- 
ship re-enforced  and  cemented  by  a  calling  wholly 
congenial  to  their  convictions  and  tastes.  And 
a  pair  of  loving  brothers  and  fellow-helpers  they 
proved. 

Mr.  Janes  was  assigned  to  Orange,  New  Jersey. 
His  name  stands  alone  in  the  Minutes.  The  only 


34  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

item  which  I  have  in  my  possession  that  throws 
any  light  on  this  year,  is  an  old  scrap  of  paper  with 
a  vote  of  thanks  on  it : 

REVEREND  SIR  :  The  Young  Men's  Temperance  Associa- 
tion of  Orange,  at  its  last  anniversary  meeting,  passed  the  fol- 
lowing resolution,  and  instructed  the  president  and  secretary 
of  said  society  to  forward  you  a  copy  of  the  same. 

"Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  association  be  presented 
to  the  Rev.  E.  S.  Janes  for  the  very  appropriate  and  excellent 
address  with  which  he  favored  the  society  on  this  occasion." 

ORANGE,  Nov.  9,  1832. 

So  we  find  the  young  evangelist  laying  hold  of 
all  the  side  issues  which  pertained  to  the  work  of 
saving  the  souls  and  bodies  of  men.  Nothing  was 
foreign  to  his  ministry  by  which  he  hoped  to  render 
it  more  useful  to  the  masses,  and  especially  to 
young  people.  From  this  day  onward  he  was  the 
steadfast  friend  and  supporter  of  the  Temperance 
Reform. 

During  this  year  he  made  a  visit  to  his  friend, 
Mr.  Sargent,  who  had  been  transferred  to  the  Bal- 
timore Conference,  and  was  stationed  in  Balti- 
more city.  Of  this  visit  Dr.  Sargent  says,  "  He 
preached  with  great  acceptance  and  usefulness  in 
all  our  then  best  churches,  for  white  and  colored,  the 
latter  offering  a  new  and  agreeable  audience  to  him. 
In  conformity  with  a  usage  then  and  now  prevailing 
as  distinctive  of  Methodism,  he  preached  short, 
seldom  exceeding  forty-five  minutes,  and  prayed 


BLOOMFIELD  AND  ORANGE.  35 

long,  over  twenty-five  or  thirty  minutes.  One  of 
the  preachers  who  had  followed  him  over  the  city 
ventured  to  say  to  him,  'Brother  Janes,  why  do 
you  pray  so  long?'  He  answered  with  great  soft- 
ness, sweetness,  and  simplicity,  '  Because  I  love  to 
pray.' " 

The  following  year  his  name  stands  on  the  Min- 
utes for  Bloomfield  and  Orange,  with  James  V.  Potts 
in  charge.  The  Rev.  S.  S.  Potter,  D.D.,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, says  of  this  period :  "  It  was  some  years 
before  his  true  worth  was  known  even  by  his  own 
denomination.  I  think  it  was  in  a  school-house 
where  I  learned  my  ABC,  that  I  first  heard  him 
preach.  It  was  at  a  time  when  my  mind  was  first 
exercised  in  regard  to  the  ministry,  and  his  preach- 
ing so  favorably  impressed  me  that  it  drew  forth 
the  utterance,  '  I  would  not  mind  being  a  preacher 
if  I  could  preach  as  well  as  that  man.' ' 

It  was  at  about  this  period  that  the  youthful 
preacher  chanced  to  be  in  the  company  of  some 
older  ministers  and  to  hear  a  conversation  which 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  him.  John  M.  Howe, 
M.D. — a  life-long  friend — received  this  account  of  it 
from  his  lips :  "  When  I  was  a  young  man,  having 
just  entered  the  Conference,  I  was  in  company  with 
three  aged  ministers,  to  whose  conversation  I  lis- 
tened with  marked  interest.  They  were  relating 
their  experience  as  Methodist  preachers,  and  the 
course  that  they  had  pursued  in  reference  to  their 


36  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

intercourse  with  church  members  and  persons  gen- 
erally. '  I/  said  one,  '  have  got  along  without  any 
difficulties  and  have  been  governed  by  these  three 
rules :  I.  Never  to  take  offense  ;  2.  Never  to  ask  any 
explanations ;  3.  Treat  every  one  as  though  noth- 
ing had  ever  happened.'  '  By  these  rules,'  said  the 
Bishop,  '  I  have  been  governed  all  along  through 
my  ministry ; '  and  he  added, '  No  words  outside  of 
inspiration  have  been  of  so  much  real  value  to  me.'  ' 

At  the  Conference  which  met  at  Philadelphia, 
April  9,  1834,  Mr.  Janes  was  elected  and  ordained 
an  elder,  and  appointed  agent  for  Dickinson  Col- 
lege. 

The  Methodists  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Balti- 
more Conferences  had  long  felt  the  need  of  a 
school  of  high  grade,  and  within  the  bounds  of 
the  Baltimore  Conference  two  unsuccessful  at- 
tempts had  been  made  to  establish  such  an  insti- 
tution. Dickinson  College  had  been  located  at 
Carlisle,  Pa.,  in  1783,  and  was  under  the  control  and 
patronage  of  the  Presbyterians  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania. It  had  maintained  an  honored  but  rather 
precarious  existence  for  a  half  century,  when  its 
managers,  despairing  of  any  adequate  support,  pro- 
posed to  transfer  it  to  the  Methodists.  The  only 
condition  of  the  transfer  with  its  entire  accumula- 
tion of  appliances,  was  a  pledge  on  the  part  of  the 
Baltimore  and  Philadelphia  Conferences  to  raise 
such  an  endowment  as  would  reasonably  guarantee 


YOUNG  PREACHER.  37 

that  the  object  of  the  founders  would  be  realized  in 
perpetuity.  Accordingly  in  1833  trustees  were  pro- 
visionally appointed  by  the  Conferences,  and  the 
transfer  was  made.  Three  agents  were  immediately 
appointed  to  raise  funds  for  the  endowment :  The 
Revs.  S.  G.  Roszell  and  J.  A.  Collins,  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Baltimore,  and  the  Rev.  E.  S.  Janes 
within  the  territory  of  the  Philadelphia  Conference. 
Mr.  Janes  was  selected  because  of  his  already  ap- 
proved ability  as  a  speaker,  and  for  his  financial  skill 
and  unwearied  industry.  It  was  a  trying  time  in 
which  to  raise  money  for  such  a  purpose.  The  build- 
ings of  the  two  initial  colleges,  at  Cokesbury  and  at 
Light  Lane,  Baltimore,  had  both  been  burned,  and 
this  circumstance,  appealing  to  communities  only 
meagerly  educated,  and  with  whom  there  was  no 
slight  prejudice  against  an  educated  ministry,  in- 
duced a  serious  doubt  as  to  whether  the  Methodists 
were  providentially  called  to  the  work  of  higher 
education  ;  it  was,  therefore,  of  no  use  to  put  into 
the  field  for  this  work  a  dull,  spiritless  speaker,  or  a 
man  destitute  of  nerve  and  energy.  Courage  had  to 
be  inspired,  doubts  to  be  removed,  liberality  had  to 
be  called  forth  ;  indeed,  a  new  era  was  to  be  created 
in  the  history  of  a  people  rapidly  growing  both  in 
numbers  and  resources,  and  to  do  this  required  a  man 
of  method,  fire,  and  persistence.  Mr.  Janes  proved 
sufficient  for  the  occasion.  With  Philadelphia  as 
a  base  of  operations  he  went  from  one  end  of  the 


38  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Conference  to  the  other,  preaching  sermons,  making 
addresses,  meeting  committees,  interviewing  and 
soliciting  private  persons,  taking  collections,  receiv- 
ing pledges,  selling  scholarships,  until  he  had  every- 
where aroused  an  enthusiasm  for  education  and 
made  Dickinson  College  a  household  word  among 
the  people.  For  two  whole  years  he  was  thus  en- 
gaged— the  last  year  being  associated  with  the  elo- 
quent Charles  Pitman — in  which  time  enough  money 
was  raised  by  the  Conferences  to  create  a  respect- 
able endowment,  which,  when  supplemented  by  an- 
nual collections  in  the  various  charges,  proved  ade- 
quate to  the  support  of  what  for  those  times  was  a 
full  faculty  of  professors. 

Dr.  Porter,  in  the  communication  already  quoted, 
speaking  of  this  period,  says  : 

I  was  stationed  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  frequently 
called  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  agent.  We  were  thus 
thrown  together,  and  formed  a  mutual  attachment,  which  was 
continued  and  strengthened  during  his  natural  life.  The 
agency  required  all  his  energies,  and  he  did  not  disappoint 
those  who  had  chosen  him  for  that  important  work.  His 
serious  earnestness,  his  tact,  his  persistence,  and  his  intelligent, 
pious  appeals,  connected  with  his  superior  ministrations  in 
preaching  the  word  of  God  in  our  pulpits  wherever  he  went, 
made  him  a  successful  agent  in  soliciting  funds  for  the  col- 
lege at  a  time  when  the  people  had  to  be  awakened  to  the  im- 
portance of  Christian  education  under  Methodist  auspices. 

While  agent  of  Dickinson  College  he  had  occasion 
to  address  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature  in  its  in- 
terests. The  circumstances  were  such  that  he 


VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK.  39 

could  make  little  or  no  written  preparation.  He 
was  obliged  to  depend  upon  such  materials  as  he 
could  command  at  the  moment.  The  effect  upon 
the  gentlemen  was  very  marked.  His  clear  presen- 
tation of  facts  and  principles,  his  unaffected  and 
forcible  eloquence,  completely  captivated  them.  He 
himself  was  taught  a  valuable  lesson,  one  that  fol- 
lowed him  through  life — with  a  mastering  of  his  sub- 
ject, always  to  depend,  especially  in  platform  ad- 
dresses, upon  the  inspiration  of  the  occasion.  The 
Rev.  Dr.  Potter,  before  quoted,  referring  to  this  ad- 
dress, remarks :  "  A  neighbor  of  mine,  a  man  of  keen 
intellectual  discernment,  by  some  means  obtained  a 
copy  of  the  address,  and  put  it  into  my  hands,  say- 
ing as  he  did  so, '  I  don't  know  Mr.  Janes,  but,  mark 
my  words,  there  is  true  worth  and  greatness  in  that 
man,  and  we  shall  hear  from  him  again.'  " 

The  earliest  letter  from  Mr.  Janes  which  has 
come  into  my  possession  is  one  addressed  to  John 
M.  Howe,  M.D.,  then  of  New  York  city,  dated 
September  16,  1835.  It  was  in  answer  to  a  request 
from  Mr.  Howe  for  a  copy  of  a  sermon  which  he  had 
heard  Mr.  Janes  preach  in  that  city : 

I  last  evening  received  your  note  of  the  I4th  inst.,  containing 
a  request  for  a  sketch  of  my  sermon  on  Sunday  morning.  It 
would  afford  me  much  pleasure  to  comply  with  your  wishes 
could  I  do  so.  I  had  no  sketch  of  the  sermon  written  before 
preaching  it,  and  it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  write  one  now. 
I  am  disposed,  however,  to  comply  with  your  wishes  as  far  as 
time  and  the  circumstances  under  which  I  preached  it  will  allow. 


40  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

The  sketch  in  full  given  to  his  friend  illustrates 
his  habits  of  mind  and  the  character  of  his  preach- 
ing in  the  forming  period  of  his  ministry.  It  shows 
how  fully  he  was  imbued  with  the  evangelkal  spirit, 
and  how  successfully  he  had  acquired  intellectual 
discipline,  traits  which  ever  afterward  so  eminently 
distinguished  him.  Such  a  sermon,  delivered  with  all 
the  fervor  of  youth,  could  not  have  failed  to  impress 
the  thoughtful  young  Christians  of  his  audience. 

It  was  about  the  time  of  the  delivery  of  this  ser- 
mon— possibly  on  this  very  visit — that  Mr.  Janes 
addressed  a  missionary  anniversary  at  Greene-street 
Church,  New  York.  Dr.  Howe  had  invited,  with 
some  warmth  of  expression,  a  certain  young  lady  to 
attend  this  anniversary  to  hear  a  young  man  wh'o 
was  to  speak.  The  young  lady  who  accompanied 
Dr.  Howe  to  the  meeting  was  Miss  Charlotte  Thi- 
bou  of  that  city.  Miss  Thibou's  parents  were 
members  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  ;  she 
herself  had  been  reared  in  that  communion,  and 
had  only  recently  left  it  and  united  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  All  her  traditions 
and  associations  were  also  in  the  Episcopal  Church ; 
her  mother's  brother,  Bishop  Croes,  having  been 
the  predecessor  of  Bishop  Doane,  of  the  diocese 
of  New  Jersey.  There  was,  however,  a  charm 
about  the  simplicity  and  spirituality  of  the  Meth- 
odists that  won  her  thoughtful,  devout,  and  ear- 
nest nature.  There  was  something  in  the  plainness 


Miss  THIBOU.  41 

of  their  manners  and  in  their  love  to  one  another, 
but  more  especially  in  the  doctrine  of  perfect  love, 
as  set  forth  and  exemplified  in  their  teaching  and 
practice,,  which  drew  her  to  their  meetings  and 
attached  her  to  their  company.  She  said  substan- 
tially :  "  These  people  are  God's  people.  They  live 
after  the  New  Testament  pattern.  They  are  filled 
with  faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  find  among  them 
what  meets  my  highest  spiritual  wants.  I  am  at 
home  and  happy  with  them.  These  people  shall  be 
my  people."  Her  decision  met  with  some  opposi- 
tion from  her  friends,  but  the  Huguenot  blood  in 
her  veins  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ  in  her  heart  ren- 
dered her  firm  and  immovable  in  the  choice  she 
had  once  made. 

Miss  Thibou's  first  association  with  the  Method- 
ists was  at  Newark,  N.  J.  After  her  removal  to 
New  York  city  she  became  a  frequent  attendant  upon 
the  meetings  for  the  promotion  of  holiness,  con- 
ducted by  Mrs.  John  Harper.  At  these  meetings 
she  found  that  which  was  congenial  to  her  religious 
experience.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Mr.  Janes 
was  introduced  to  Miss  Thibou.  She  was  young  and 
beautiful,  highly  intelligent  and  cultivated,  already 
betokening  that  spirituelle  of  expression  which  be- 
came such  a  peculiar  charm.  The  acquaintance 
rapidly  ripened  into  a  mutual  affection,  and  in  the 
month  of  May,  1835,  they  were  married.  I  doubt 
if  a  truer  and  happier  marriage  was  ever  rati- 


42  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

fied  in  heaven.  Long  years  afterward  the  bride- 
groom, then  in  the  fullness  of  his  power  and  fame, 
said  good-humoredly  to  some  of  his  brethren  who 
were  conversing  on  eligible  marriage  :  "  Well,  I  got 
a  fortune  in  my  wife."  She,  too,  as  many  years 
after,  in  one  of  her  sportive  moods — for  she  had 
them — when  talking  to  a  pastor,  the  Rev.  William. 
Day,  of  her  earlier  recollections,  thus  alluded  to  this 
eventful  period  :  "  When  Mr.  Janes  was  making  his 
earlier  visits  to  me,  and  the  great  question  of  my 
social  life  was  under  consideration,  incidentally  one 
evening  he  said,  in  speaking  of  his  circumstances, 
'  It  has  been  my  honor  for  some  time  to  help  sup- 
port my  parents.'  Those  incidental  words  decided 
my  choice,  for  I  felt  that  my  interests  would  be  safe 
in  the  hands  of  a  young  man  who  regarded  it  an 
honor  to  support  his  aged  parents."  Mr.  Day  well 
remarks :  "  I  will  not  presume  to  say  which  most 
claims  our  admiration;  the  candor  and  filial  devo- 
tion of  Mr.  Janes,  or  the  character  of  her  whose 
choice  was  so  controlled  by  that  devotion." 

As  showing  the  devout  spirit  which  animated 
Miss  Thibou  in  the  period  immediately  preceding 
her  marriage,  I  give  extracts  from  two  letters  written 
to  her  life-long  friend,  Mrs.  Joseph  A.  Wright,  then 
Mrs.  Caroline  R.  Browne : 

December  30,  1834. 

.  .  .  To-day  I  unite  with  you  in  praising  the  Lord.  He  im- 
parts to  me  those  inward  delights  that  flow  from  communion 


Miss  THIBOU.  43 

with  himself.  He  causes  streams  of  grace  and  salvation  to 
water  and  replenish  my  soul.  Peace,  love,  and  joy  are  inmates 
of  my  breast,  while  the  bright  felicity  of  the  saints  in  light 
stands  revealed  to  the  eye  of  my  faith,  enrapturing  my  soul. 
To  my  Jesus  I  continually  aspire,  striving  to  live  to  him  every 
moment. 

The  fervent  desires  of  your  heart  after  inward  purity  and  en- 
tire devotedness  are  to  me  delightful.  How  much  more  pleas- 
ing must  they  be  to  the  eyes  of  your  Prince.  He  will  abun- 
dantly grant  your  most  enlarged  petitions  by  uniting  you  closely 
to  him,  and  while  you  suffer  him  to  reign  without  a  rival,  he 
will  pour  the  full  tide  of  light  and  love  upon  you  from  his  sa- 
cred throne.  .  .  .  Praise  his  name !  the  precious  pearl  of  per- 
fect love  is  just  before  you.  Reach  after  it — receive  it  as  the 
free  gift  of  Him  who  loves  you. 

I  receive  you,  my  friend,  as  my  dear  sister  in  Christ,  and 
shall  rejoice  to  have  you  love  and  treat  me  as  such.  The 
dearest  bond  that  can  unite  sympathetic  hearts  is  the  mutual 
love  that  binds  us  to  the  Cross.  Be  this  the  strong  connecting 
link  that  shall  unite  us  in  the  closest  friendship,  never  to  be 
dissolved,  but  matured  and  perfected  in  heaven.  .  .  . 

Very  affectionately  yours,  in  the  sweetest  and  best  of  bonds, 

C.  THIBOU. 

Under  date  of  Jan.  20,  1835,  after  a  brief  illness, 
she  again  writes  to  the  same  friend  : 

I  am  now  quite  comfortable,  and  only  waiting  to  be  fully  re- 
stored that  I  may  again  be  about  my  Master's  business.  I  did 
not.  know  but  that  the  slight  indisposition  might  be  the  messen- 
ger employed  by  the  Prince  of  pilgrims  to  take  me  up  to  the 
celestial  city.  On  some  accounts  I  should  have  welcomed  the 
call  ;  and  yet  I  felt  a  desire,  if  consistent  with  His  will,  to  tarry 
below  awhile  longer  to  be  of  some  little  use — to  do  something 
before  the  season  of  doing  is  passed  forever.  Why,  my  love, 
to  wipe  away  one  tear,  to  bind  up  one  broken  heart,  to  soothe 
one  troubled  breast,  to  warn  a  sinner,  to  pray  for  a  backslider, 


44  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

or  to  point  one  penitent  to  the  Lamb  of  God  this,  this  is  worth 
living  for  many  long,  wearisome  years. 

.  .  .  To-day  I  have  been  solemnly  renewing  my  covenant 
before  the  Lord  to  be  wholly  and  forever  his,  O  for  the  hu- 
mility, the  docility,  the  purity  of  a  primitive  disciple !  O  for 
the  meek  and  lowly  mind  of  Jesus  himself !  Nothing  but  this 
can  suffice.  Come,  holy  Saviour,  and  sit  upon  this  heart  ; 
melt  it  thoroughly,  and  cause  it  to  take  fully  the  signature 
divine,  and  to  shine  forth  after  thy  lovely  likeness — all  praise, 
all  meekness,  and  all  love. 

.  .  .  O  the  depth  of  love  divine  !  And  an  overflowing  fount- 
ain, too,  for  some  of  its  sacred  streams  reach  even  to  my 
heart,  refreshing  and  fertilizing,  and,  I  trust,  making  it  fruitful. 
.  .  .  Now  I  ask  of  God  the  grace  to  improve  to  the  utmost  the 
rich  privileges  to  which,  as  believers,  we  are  entitled.  O  yes, 
we  must  have  the  fullness  of  God — the  heaven  of  love ! 

Such  was  the  spirit  of  the  bride  of  Mr.  Janes. 
Both  had  already  been  married  to  the  Church,  and 
in  choosing  one  another  each  had  an  eye  dis- 
tinctly to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  spread  of  that 
form  of  Christianity  called  Methodism,  which  was 
as  dear  to  them  as  life  itself.  In  full  view  of  a 
career  of  self-sacrifice  they  joined  their  fortunes, 
and  through  long  years  of  toil  they  mutually  sus- 
tained each  other,  steadying  and  staying  one  anoth- 
er's steps,  cheering  one  another's  fainting  spirit, 
rejoicing  and  weeping  together,  until  their  pilgrim- 
age closed. 


STATIONED  IN  PHILADELPHIA.  45 


CHAPTER  III. 
1836-1841. 

The  City  Pastor — Elected  Secretary  to  the  American  Bible  Society. 

THE  first  appointment  of  Mr.  Janes  after  mar- 
riage was  to  the  Fifth-street  charge,  Phila- 
delphia. It  comprised  556  members.  The  church 
edifice  was  large,  and  the  work  of  the  pastor,  both 
in  pastoral  visiting  and  preaching,  was  necessarily 
arduous.  Mr.  Janes  suffered  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  from  an  acute  inflammation  of  the 
throat,  so  that  by  his  own  expressed  wish  he  was 
changed  in  1837  to  the  Nazareth  charge,  where  the 
building  was  smaller.  The  number  of  members, 
however,  was  equally  large — 582.  The  care  of  so 
many  members,  together  with  the  numerous  per- 
sons to  whom  they  were  more  or  less  allied,  must 
have  taxed  the  young  minister  to  the  utmost  of  his 
strength.  His  rather  feeble  body  would  undoubt- 
edly have  failed  under  it  but  for  the  system  with 
which  he  did  all  his  work,  and  the  admirable  skill 
with  which  he  learned  from  this  time — largely  be- 
cause compelled  to  do  so — to  manage  all  his  powers, 
especially  his  voice,  in  speaking.  His  voice,  femi- 
nine in  tone  arid  never  strong,  was  somewhat  im- 
3 


46  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

paired  by  disease  and  over-exertion,  but,  hence- 
forth, under  the  perfect  control  to  which  he  sub- 
jected it,  he  found  continuous  public  speaking  not 
only  practicable  and  healthful,  but  the  weak  and 
unpromising  voice  became  the  facile  instrument  of 
his  commanding  thoughts. 

In  1838  Mr.  Janes  was  re-appointed  to  Nazareth 
charge,  and  spent  another  year.  The  General  Min- 
utes show  a  net  gain  for  the  two  years  of  100 
members. 

Two  brief  letters,  during  this  period,  from  Mrs. 
Janes  to  the  friend  previously  mentioned,  shed  a 
little  light  on  the  household  and  the  pastor's  doings : 

I  feel  stronger  desires  than  ever  to  be  wholly  devoted  to 
God,  and  for  him  to  live  and  die.  I  find  him  a  present  Sav- 
iour— a  most  loving  friend.  In  his  service  is  my  supreme  de- 
light. I  am  surrounded  with  temporal  and  spiritual  blessings. 
My  husband  is  one  of  the.  very  best.  My  little  son,  Lewis  Thi- 
bou,  is  a  sprightly,  hearty  boy  of  eighteen  months.  We  live  in 
Montgomery-street,  No.  9,  very  near  Nazareth  Church,  which 
we  consider  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  pleasant,  and  commo- 
dious in  the  country.  Our  congregation  is  crowded.  We  re- 
ceive several  new  members  every  Sunday.  Mr.  Janes's  health 
is  much  improved. 

Again,  under  date  of  May  8,  1838: 

With  much  pleasure  I  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  let- 
ter, and  thank  you  for  the  satisfaction  its  contents  imparted  to 
my  mind.  It  seemed  like  the  return  of  former  days,  when  we 
enjoyed  the  sweet  delights  of  Christian  friendship,  and  together 
tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious.  ...  I  feel  now  more  sensi- 
bly than  ever,  that  the  increase  of  the  divine  life  in  the  soul  is 


PASTOR  IN  PHILADELPHIA.  47 

the  only  thing  that  is  worth  being  anxious  about.  .  .  .  Then 
let  us  mount  up  on  the  wings  of  holy  contemplation,  and  be 
much  engaged  with  God  for  the  full  measure  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

for  then  only  can  the  perfect  union  of  the  blessed  Redeemer 

be  impressed  upon  our  souls.  ...  Mr.  Janes  will  bring  this  to 
New  York,  having  been  invited  to  deliver  an  address  before 
the  American  Bible  Society  on  Thursday. 

Dr.  J.  S.  Porter  gives  us  this  glimpse : 

While  he  was  stationed  in  Philadelphia,  and  I  was  in  Bur- 
lington, New  Jersey,  long  continued  revival  work  had  well- 
nigh  exhausted  me,  and  I  went  to  Philadelphia  to  seek  help. 
At  the  preachers'  meeting  I  saw  a  number  of  brethren,  and 
labored  in  vain  to  secure  the  services  of  some  one  or  more,  and 
left  for  the  boat  which  was  to  carry  me  back  with  feelings  of 
discomfort,  when  I  met  Brother  Janes  in  the  market-place. 
Having  made  known  the  state  of  the  case,  which  he  heard  pa- 
tiently, he  at  once  stated  his  own  case — what  he  had  been  do- 
ing for  the  last  week,  and  his  appointments  for  that  week ;  but 
it  was  apparent  that  there  was  one  night  of  that  week  which 
was  not  occupied  with  any  appointment,  concerning  which  he 
said,  "  I  think  I  should  rest  that  night,  and  recuperate  a  little, 
but  if  you  say  I  must  go  to  Burlington  and  preach  for  you,  I 
will  go."  As  a  matter  of  course  I  said,  You  must  go,  and  he 
came  and  rendered  us  great  assistance.  He  did  this  at  some 
sacrifice,  and  made  an  impression  on  my  mind  of  his  gracious 
goodness  which  was  never  effaced. 

As  showing  the  early  kindling  of  Mr.  Janes's  zeal 
for  the  closely  related  causes  of  Christian  missions 
and  African  colonization,  I  give  two  short  letters 
addressed  to  the  Rev.  Nathan  Bangs,  D.D.,  then 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  first  is 
dated  at  Philadelphia,  October  12,  1837: 


48  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JAXES. 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  7th  inst.  last  evening.  This 
morning  I  have  made  inquiries  concerning  the  business  upon 
which  you  wrote.  I  find  that  there  will  no  vessel  sail  from 
this  port  for  Africa  soon.  The  Pennsylvania  Colonization  So- 
ciety unite  with  the  New  York  Society  in  fitting  out  the  ship 
"  Emperor,"  to  sail  from  your  port. 

It  would  give  me  pleasure,  at  any  time,  to  render  yourself 
or  the  missionary  cause  any  service  that  it  may  be  in  my  power 
to  confer. 

The  second  is  dated,  Philadelphia,  May  24,  1838: 

I  have  understood  that  there  is  some  probability  that  Brother 
Seys  *  will  visit  this  country  this  summer.  If  so,  I  very  much 
desire  that  he  should  come  to  this  city.  I  think  if  he  could  do 
so,  and  give  us  the  statistics  of  affairs  in  Africa,  it  would  cure 
our  people  here  of  their  opposition  to  our  African  missions  and 
to  colonization.  I  hope  you  will  bear  this  matter  in  mind,  and, 
should  he  visit  this  country,  endeavor  to  make  arrangements 
with  him  to  spend  a  week  or  more,  if  practicable,  in  this  city. 

Should  Brother  Seys  visit  our  city,  try  and  make  it  conven- 
ient to  come  with  him. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  insert  just  here  a  short 
specimen  sketch,  showing  how  Mr.  Janes's  youthful 
missionary  spirit  found  expression.  It  was  the  day 
of  small  things,  of  first  beginnings  in  the  mighty 
movement  which  was  afterward  to  engage  so  much 
of  his  thought,  and  which  he  was  to  see  encircling 
the  globe : 

Perhaps  the  influence  of  example  is  as  powerful  an  influence 
as  any  that  is  brought  to  bear  upon  human  feelings  and  con- 
duct. It  is  the  influence  of  fact.  In  the  history  of  the  mission- 
ary enterprise  we  are  furnished  with  many  soul-stirring  inci- 

*  The  Rev.  John  Seys,  appointed  missionary  to  Liberia,  1834. 


EARLY  MISSIONARY  ZEAL.  49 

dents.  There  is  on  the  page  of  missionary  history  an  account 
of  a  missionary  meeting  which,  probably,  you  have  all  read  and 
felt.  It  was  a  large  and  august  assembly.  It  was  held  in  a 
place  amid  the  magnificence  and  splendor  of  royalty.  A  king 
presided  at  this  meeting,  and  his  only  Son  was  present,  and 
not  only  shared  in  the  discourses,  but  presented  the  most 
priceless  offering  given  on  the  occasion.  The  whole  assembly, 
although  accustomed  to  deliberate  upon  the  interests  of  gov- 
ernment and  of  empire,  are  serious  and  anxious  when  the  great 
cause  of  missionary  operations  is  presented  for  their  delibera- 
tions. The  restoration  of  a  depraved  and  fallen  world  to  holi- 
ness and  to  God  was  a  subject  transcending  their  comprehen- 
sion and  their  hopes.  But  while  all  were  contemplating  this 
momentous  subject,  and  were  silent  in  view  of  its  impossibility, 
the  President,  with  majesty  and  benignity  becoming  a  Sov- 
ereign and  a  President,  arose  and  solemnly  announced  that  his 
wisdom  had  found  a  plan  ;  that  to  his  mind  a  scheme  had  pre- 
sented itself  by  which  the  whole  design  might  be  accomplished. 
"  But  O  the  expense,  the  sacrifice,  the  suffering  necessary  to 
effect  it !  But  it  is  the  only  plan  ;  it  must  be  carried  out ;  and 
I  have  decided  to  give  myself  to  the  cause.  The  riches  of  my 
wisdom — the  treasures  of  my  love — the  energies  of  my  omnip- 
otence— the  fullness  of  my  compassion — all,  all,  I  lay  upon  the 
altar.  There  is  no  enterprise  more  stupendous  or  glorious, 
more  worthy  or  becoming.  I  give  myself  to  effect  it." 

Scarcely  had  he  made  this  consecrating  vow  and  ceased  to 
speak,  when  his  only  Son,  his  well-beloved  Son,  addressed  him 
thus  :  "  Father,  I  give  myself.  I  give  this  uncreated  glory  which 
I  had  with  you  before  the  world  began.  I  will  veil  my  dignity 
and  my  divinity.  I  will  go  to  that  benighted  and  perishing 
world.  I  will  become  their  servant,  and  will  bear  their  sins  in 
my  body  on  the  tree.  I  will  give  my  blood  and  my  groans,  my 
life  and  my  death,  to  effect  this  great  object,  and  fulfill  your 
plan  of  mercy.  Here,  Father,  I  give  myself."  Scarcely  had  he 
done  speaking  when  the  impatient  assembly,  constituting  the 
hierarchy  of  the  celestial  world,  arose,  and  with  united  voice 
said,  "  Great  Father  of  our  being,  we  give  ourselves.  When 


5o  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

thy  well-beloved  Son  descends  into  the  abodes  of  wretched- 
ness our  songs  shall  celebrate  and  announce  his  mission. 
When  he  treads  the  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God  and  pours 
forth  the  sweat  of  blood  we  will  be  with  him  to  minister  unto 
him,  to  strengthen  him.  When  he  has  finished  his  work  of 
mercy  and  is  to  return  we  will  let  down  his  cloudy  chariot, 
and  receive  him  up  to  thy  right  hand  again.  We  also  will 
minister  to  all  them  who  become  the  heirs  of  salvation." 
Here  was  the  best  missionary  meeting  ever  held,  and  not  break- 
ing up  until  every  one  had  consecrated  himself  to  this  great 
work. 


While  a  pastor  in  Philadelphia  Mr.  Janes  studied 
medicine.  That  city  has  always  been  noted  for  the 
number  and  excellence  of  its  medical  institutions, 
and  the  professors  of  the  various  faculties  have 
uniformly  courteously  extended  to  the  clergymen 
of  the  city  invitations  to  attend  upon  their  lectures. 
Mr.  Janes,  with  the  desire  to  know  how  properly  to 
treat  his  own  health,  and  also  with  the  purpose  to 
make  himself  useful  among  the  poor,  by  being 
able,  when  necessary,  to  render  them  medical  help, 
availed  himself  of  this  opportunity.  He  subse- 
quently received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine 
from  the  Vermont  University.  He  thus  united 
with  a  knowledge  of  the  law  some  knowledge  of 
medicine,  and  was  all  the  more  thoroughly  furnished 
for  his  life-work.  He  seems  early  to  have  felt  that 
all  knowledge  was  important  to  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel.  While  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  ever 
after  was  in  the  least  drawn  aside  by  either  of  these 


TRANSFERRED  TO  NEW  YORK.  51 

professions — for  no  man  was  by  conviction  and 
habit  more  a  man  of  one  work — still  the  discipline 
of  mind  and  the  technical  information  these  studies 
afforded  largely  contributed  to  the  width  and  ac- 
curacy of  view  which  marked  his  opinions  and  his 
general  intercourse  with  society.  He  was  prepared 
to  meet  men  of  affairs  on  their  own  ground,  and  to 
converse  with  them  in  a  manner  which  at  once 
awakened  their  interest.  In  his  public  addresses 
the  knowledge  that  he  possessed  of  the  three  pro- 
fessions gave  him  an  advantage  which  he  seldom, 
though  without  ostentation,  failed  to  use  that  he 
might  render  his  sacred  vocation  more  efficient. 
Already  the  grand  ideal  of  his  life,  the  ministry  of 
the  word,  was  crystallizing  about  it  all  the  materials 
which  it  touched  ;  all  the  resources  available  to  him 
were  entering  into  and  augmenting  the  faculty  of 
the  preacher. 

I  have  before  alluded  to  his  casual  speaking  and 
preaching  in  New  York  city.  These  exercises,  in 
addition  to  the  fame  he  had  acquired  in  his  more 
immediate  work,  brought  him  to  the  attention  of 
the  Methodists  of  New  York.  In  the  spring  of 
1839  he  was,  by  request,  transferred  and  appointed 
to  the  Mulberry-street  charge  in  that  city. 
The  Mulberry-street  Church  had  had  but  two  pas- 
tors preceding  his  advent,  the  Revs.  Robert  Seney 
and  Francis  Hodgson.  It  was  one  of  the  two 
pewed  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  of  the  city, 


52  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANLS. 

and  in  it  were  gathered  a  large  number  of  the 
wealthier  and  more  intelligent  Methodist  families. 
It  was  proof  of  the  high  estimate  in  which 
Mr.  Janes  was  held,  both  by  the  Bishops  and  the 
people,  that  he  should,  while  so  young,  be  ap- 
pointed to  what  was  regarded  as  the  leading 
metropolitan  pulpit.  He  was  just  thirty-two  years 
of  age,  and  his  small  stature  and  delicate,  frail  health 
made  him  appear  even  more  youthful  than  he  was. 
His  ministrations  at  once  attracted  attention,  and 
he  uniformly  preached  to  large  congregations.  To 
pulpit  ability  he  added  rare  executive  talents,  and 
his  organizing  power  was  soon  shown  in  the  general 
direction  which  was  given  to  all  the  details  of 
Church  work.  To  the  children  and  youth  he  was 
very  attentive,  frequently  preaching  to  them,  and 
mingling  with  them,  especially  in  the  sessisons  of 
the  Sunday-school.  His  sermons  and  addresses  to 
children  were  appropriate,  pleasing,  and  instructive, 
invariably  gaining  and  holding  their  attention.  He 
would  unfold  a  subject  in  simple  language,  with 
home-like  and,  as  far  as  practicable,  scriptural  illus- 
trations, pausing  now  and  then  as  he  proceeded  to 
question  his  young  audience  upon  the  points 
which  he  had  brought  out,  and  he  would  never  fail 
in  the  end  to  impress  upon  their  minds  a  useful 
moral  and  religious  lesson.  His  habit  was  not  only 
to  preach  often  distinctively  to  the  young,  but  never 
to  preach  a  sermon  which  should  be  without  some- 


PASTOR  INT  NEW  YORK.  53 

thing  suited  to  their  capacities.  His  opinion  was, 
that  the  pastor  who  neglected  the  children  lost  his 
arm  of  greatest  strength. 

I  give  an  extract  from  a  manuscript  sketch  of  a 
sermon  on  "  Forgetfulness  of  God,"  which  affords 
an  example  of  the  matter  and  style  of  his  preaching 
at  this  time  : 

I  know  men  have  offered  and  urged  excuses,  but  they  are 
all  fallacious.  This  forgetfulness  of  God  has  been  ascribed  to 
the  invisibility  of  his  person.  There  is  no  embodied,  incarnate 
image  before  the  eye  ;  no  audible  voice  breaking  upon  the  ear  ; 
no  physical  impression  upon  our  senses ;  and  this  is  pleaded 
in  excuse  of  our  forgetfulness  of  God.  But  is  it  so,  that  we 
cannot  love  an  invisible  object  ?  The  husbandman  thinks  of 
the  seed  that  he  has  cast  into  the  earth.  '  The  merchantman 
thinks  of  his  ship  that  is  far  off  upon  the  deep.  The  maid 
does  not  forget  her  ornaments,  nor  the  bride  her  attire, 
though  they  are  locked  in  the  wardrobe  and  unseen.  Why  is 
it  that  at  times  you  are  indifferent  to,  and  almost  unconscious 
of,  every  object  of  sense  around  you  ?  Something  unseen 
hath  engrossed  the  mind,  an  object  of  interest  far  off  over  the 
vast  deep  hath  absorbed  it.  The  form  of  a  loved  one  comes 
up  in  the  thoughts.  But  how  is  this?  This  object  is  unseen. 
He  hath  not  even  left  his  footsteps  upon  the  intervening 
ocean.  And  yet  he  is  in  all  thy  thoughts,  engrossing  more  of 
thy  mind  than  when  present  with  thee.  Why  is  it  that  you  go 
to  the  grave  to  weep  there?  It  has  hidden  the  beauteous 
form  of  thy  friend  deep  in  its  dark  and  dreary  bosom.  Even 
if  the  disembodied  spirit  should  linger  above  its  green  surface, 
still  it  would  be  invisible.  And  yet  the  bare  remembrance  of 
thy  invisible  friend  hallows  with  undying  interest  even  the 
place  where  the  body  lies.  O  tell  me  not  that  you  cannot 
recollect  an  unseen  object.  The  excuse  is  baseless,  and  alto- 
gether invalid. 


54  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

There  was  no  sort  of  pastoral  work  which  es- 
caped the  notice  of  this  many-sided  young  minis- 
ter. There  were  no  themes  which  related  to  the 
edification  of  the  body  of  Christ  which  he  did  not 
discuss  and  enforce.  The  duty  of  Christian  benefi- 
cence engaged  much  of  his  thoughts,  and  he  con- 
tributed not  a  little  to  lay  the  foundations  of  those 
habits  of  systematic  giving  which  became  subse- 
quently the  main  dependence  of  the  benevolent 
institutions  of  American  Methodism.  How  could 
the  members  of  his  congregation  fail  to  appreciate 
the  subject  when  presented  by  their  youthful  pas- 
tor in  the  attractive  garb  with  which  he  must  have 
clothed  the  following  thoughts?  Discoursing  on 
the  "greater  blessedness  of  giving"  he  says: 

This  arises,  I.  From  the  consciousness  that  we  are  fulfilling 
the  design  of  the  gracious  Giver.  We  receive  as  stewards ;  as 
such  are  we  faithful  ?  Do  we  misapply  none  of  our  Master's 
treasures  ? 

2.  In  giving,  we  exercise  the  noblest  feelings  of  our  nature — 
sympathy  for  the  necessities  of  others  . . .  generosity  overcomes 
the  inherent  selfishness  of  our  fallen  natures,  and  we  feel  that 
we  are  not  living  to  ourselves  ...  all  the  kind  and  tender  and 
amiable  affections  of  the  soul.  .  .  .  This  is  the  way  to  be 
happy. 

3.  We  harmonize  with  the  universe  of  which  we  are  an  in- 
tegral part.     This  is  a  useful  world.     Though  the  curse  of  sin 
is  upon  it,  yet  we  can  clearly  see  that,  like  the  mechanism  of  a 
watch,  every  part  was  made  for  an  important  relative  interest. 

Survey  the  face  of  the  earth.  .  .  . 

The  heavens  above.  .  .  . 

All  fallen  beings  .  .  .  angels  .  .  .  God.  .  .  . 


PASTOR  AND  SECRETARY.  55 

So  that  in  giving  we  move  in  harmony  with  the  physical  and 
spiritual  universe.     The  act  of  giving  is  divine. 

4.  It  is  inspiring,  enlarging  our  hearts,  expanding  our  minds, 
ennobling  our  characters. 

5.  Religious  giving  is  surely  and  abundantly  rewarded.  .  .  . 
The  pleasure  of  the  time.  .  .  .  The  pleasure  that  follows.  ...  In 
after  life,  in  death,  in  the  judgment,  in  heaven.     These  are  the 
natural  results.     Then,  in  addition,  the  positive  reward  of  God. 

Here  in  this  life  a  hundred  fold.  .  .  . 
Special  glory  in  the  life  to  come.  .  .  . 
O,  the  contrast  !  " 

In  May,  1838,  Mr.  Janes,  then  residing  in  Phil- 
adelphia, had  been  invited  to  deliver  one  of  the 
addresses  at  the  Anniversary  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  in  New  York.  The  impression  made 
by  his  address  on  this  occasion,  together  with  his  ac- 
credited success  as  agent  of  Dickinson  College  and 
his  well-understood  popularity  as  a  pulpit  and  plat- 
form orator,  led  the  managers  of  the  Bible  Society  to 
elect  him,  in  1840,  its  Financial  Secretary.  About 
the  same  time  he  was  re-appointed  to  the  Mulberry- 
street  charge.  He  felt  constrained  to  accept  the 
secretaryship,  and  accordingly  resigned  his  charge, 
but  the  official  members  were  not  willing  to  part 
with  his  ministry,  and  they  invited  him  to  remain 
as  their  pastor  for  the  year  while  retaining  the 
secretaryship  and  dividing  his  services.  This  he 
consented  to  do,  and  thus  became  responsible  for 
two  most  important  trusts.  In  one  of  his  earlier 
speeches  he  makes  the  following  allusion  to  his 
appointment : 


56  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

My  position  is  not  one  of  my  own  choosing.  My  allot- 
ments in  life  have  been  providential.  My  early  circumstances 
accustomed  me  to  labor  and  self-denial,  and  my  study  of  the 
law  made  me  acquainted  with  the  forms  of  business.  These 
things  were  known  to  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  and,  in  their  judgment,  gave  me  a  degree  of 
competency  to  manage  the  financial  department  of  that  insti- 
tution. They  accordingly  elected  me,  and  the  constituted  au- 
thorities of  the  Church  appointed  me.  I  admire  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  economy,  because  it  does  not  leave  a  man  to 
choose  his  own  work,  but  assigns  to  him  that  for  which  it 
judges  him  most  competent.  .  .  .  My  daily  prayer  is,  that  if 
there  is  one  place  in  which  I  can  be  more  useful  than  in  another, 
or  save  one  more  soul,  I  may  be  there.  The  Church  generally 
judges  right. 

This  brief  introduction  strikes  the  key-note  of  Mr. 
Janes's  life.  The  ground  of  his  choice  of  one  place 
over  another  was,  that  he  might  be  more  useful,  that 
he  might,  if  possible,  save  one  more  soul,  and  the  only 
medium  of  choice  which  he  knew  was  the  voice 
of  the  Church.  He  chose  not  for  himself.  And  so 
he  was  by  conviction  a  member  and  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  ever  bowed  with- 
out hesitation  to  its  behests.  His  mind  was  in  full 
sympathy  with  the  aims  and  methods  of  the  Amer- 
ican Bible  Society  ;  but  good  as  the  object  was,  and 
broad  as  the  scope  which  its  operations  would  open 
to  his  energies,  he  would  not  select  nor  go  until 
the  Church,  to  whose  form  of  government  he  had 
given  his  allegiance,  should  command  him.  He 
first  learned  obedience  in  the  ranks,  and,  like  all 


WORK  AS  SECRETARY.  57 

good  soldiers,  was  thus  qualified  when  attaining 
command,  simply  to  expect  of  others  what  he 
himself  had  been  glad  to  render,  unquestioning 
loyalty. 

Mr.  Janes  now  entered  upon  that  wider  sphere, 
of  activity  for  which  his  talents  were  so  eminently 
fitted.  The  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  1836  had  agreed  to  disband 
their  denominational  Bible  Society  and  to  unite 
with  the  American  Bible  Society,  and  he  had  been 
chosen  under  this  union  to  represent  Methodism, 
with  special  reference  to  traveling  at  large  through 
the  country  and  advocating  the  claims  of  the  soci- 
ety before  the  Methodist  Annual  Conferences. 

Judging  from  a  few  memoranda  on  detached 
slips  of  paper,  he  must  have  confined  his  opera- 
tions for  the  first  year  largely  to  the  Middle  States, 
within  easy  reaching  distance  of  his  pastoral 
charge. 


Feb.  5,  1841.  Left  New  York  to  attend  a  meeting1  of  the 
Maryland  State  Bible  Society,  in  Baltimore.  Spent  the  Sab- 
bath in  Philadelphia.  Attended  the  meeting  on  Monday  even- 
ing. Not  a  large  but  a  good  meeting.  On  Tuesday  evening 
attended  the  Missionary  Anniversary  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  which  paid  my  expenses,  so  that  my  trip  was 
without  cost. 

Feb.  17.  Went  to  Newark  to  arrange  an  appointment  to 
preach  and  take  a  collection.  Expense,  fifty  cents. 

Feb.  27.  Left  New  York  for  Trenton.  On  Sabbath,  the 
28th,  preached  in  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  Churches.  Found 


58  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

the  cause  in  a  very  low  state.  Took  a  collection  of  $35  in  the 
Methodist  Church. 

March  7.  Preached  in  the  Second  Wesleyan  Chapel,  New 
York,  and  took  a  collection  for  the  Bible  cause. 

March  14.  Preached  in  the  Second  Avenue  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  took  a  collection  for  the  Bible  cause. 

March  21.  Preached  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
Williamsburgh,  and  took  a  collection  for  the  Bible  cause.  Ex- 
penses of  filling  my  pulpit  and  going,  etc.,  $i. 

March  30.  Went  to  Freehold,  Monmouth  County,  N.  J.,  to 
attend  the  annual  meeting  of  County  Society  on  31  st.  Had  a 
small  but  useful  meeting.  Expenses,  $4. 

April  28.  Visited  the  New  Jersey  Conference  on  the  Soci- 
ety s  business,  also  on  the  3oth.  Expenses,  $i  I2|. 

This  meager  record  shows  the  industry  and  pains- 
taking with  which  he  worked  in  the  cause  while 
still  the  pastor  of  an  influential  Church. 


AMERICAN  BIBLE  SOCIETY.  59 


CHAPTER  IV. 
1841-1844. 

Secretary  of  the  American  Bible  Society. 

IN  the  month  of  May,  1841,  emancipated  from  a 
pastoral  charge,  Mr.  Janes  was  at  liberty  to  give 
his  whole  time  to  the  secretaryship.  He  threw  him- 
self with  abandon  into  the  work.  The  cause  was  en- 
tirely congenial  with  his  feelings.  The  thought  of 
giving  to  all  people  the  sacred  Scriptures,  that  every 
man  might  hear,  in  the  same  tongue  in  which  he 
first  heard  the  whispers  of  a  mother's  love,  the  glad 
evangel  of  a  Saviour's  love,  aroused  his  whole  nat- 
ure, set  him  all  aglow  with  holy  zeal,  and  he  rushed 
from  point  to  point  over  the  land,  setting  all  hearts 
on  fire  with  enthusiasm  for  the  circulation  of  the 
Bible. 

June  23,  1841.  Left  New  York  to  visit  the  New  Hampshire 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  Confer- 
ence entertained  the  Bible  question,  manifested  a  strong-  inter- 
est in  it,  and  resolved  to  preach  on  the  subject  and  take  a  col- 
lection in  all  their  churches.  On  Sunday,  26th,  preached  on 
the  Bible  cause  in  the  Congregational  Church. 

June  27.  Went  from  Dover,  the  seat  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Conference,  to  Worcester,  Mass.,  the  seat  of  the  New  England 
Conference.  This  Conference  also  cordially  entertained  the 


60  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

subject  of  my  mission,  and  passed  resolutions  not  only  ap- 
proving the  objects  and  operations  of  the  American  Bible  So- 
ciety, but  also  pledging  themselves  to  preach  on  the  subject 
and  take  up  collections  for  our  treasury. 

July  12.  Left  New  York  to  attend  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  Delaware  County  Bible  Society  at  Delhi.  The  meeting 
was  held  on  the  I4th,  and  was  well  attended  by  delegates 
from  the  different  towns  in  the  county.  It  was  a  spirited 
meeting.  The  Society  resolved  to  ascertain  the  destitution,  and 
to  supply  the  people  in  their  bounds ;  also  to  use  all  proper 
means  to  introduce  the  Bible  into  their  common  schools.  The 
next  day  I  went  to  Cooperstown,  in  Otsego  County ;  saw  the 
officers  of  that  county,  and  urged  them  to  enlist  in  an  effort  to 
supply  the  destitute  in  the  county.  They  assured  me  it  should 
be  done  so  far  as  practicable. 

The  next  day  I  went  to  Utica.  On  Sabbath,  the  i8th, 
preached  in  the  morning  in  the  Congregational  Church,  in  the 
afternoon  in  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and  in  the  evening 
had  a  general  meeting  of  all  the  congregations  in  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church.  The  County  Society  has  an  agent  who 
will  go  through  the  city  and  make  applications  for  donations. 
They  preferred  this  way  of  doing  business.  If  they  do  not  do 
their  duty  now,  the  sin  and  guilt  are  their  own.  Tuesday 
went  to  Rome,  where  the  Black  River  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  in  session.  This  Confer- 
ence also  entertained  the  Bible  question  very  cordially.  They 
also  passed  a  resolution  pledging  themselves  to  take  up  col- 
lections for  the  Society.  On  Sunday  evening  I  preached  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  obtained  a  collection  of 
$170.  I  believe  this  to  have  been  a  useful  tour. 

While  on  this  tour,  •>  or  possibly  one  somewhat 
later,  an  incident  occurred  given  by  an  eye  witness 
which  illustrates  his  marvelous  power  of  appeal. 
It  was  a  matter  of  record  in  the  religious  papers  at 
the  time :  "  When  Secretary  of  the  American 


As  SECRETARY  VISITS  THE  SOUTH.        61 

Bible  Society,  and  addressing  a  Western  New  York 
Conference  in  its  behalf,  he  was  arguing  the  neces- 
sity of  personal  consecration  in  order  to  liberal  and 
acceptable  offerings  unto  God,  and  as  he  proceeded 
with  fervid  and  impassioned  eloquence  he  threw 
himself  upon  his  knees,  and  in  prayer  led  the  body 
of  the  Conference  before  they  were  aware,  in  the 
very  act  of  consecration  ;  the  effect  was  most  thrill- 
ing, and  was  one  of  those  life-time  acts  the  memory 
of  which  endures  through  generations." 

In  the  winter  of  1841-42  Mr.  Janes  made  a 
"  Southern  tour,"  going  as  far  as  the  State  of  Geor- 
gia. None  of  his  letters  of  the  period  have  been 
preserved,  but  fortunately  scraps  of  a  diary  trans- 
mit to  us  some  account  of  his  doings.  Bishop 
Waugh,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  whose 
manuscript  journal  was  temporarily  in  my  posses- 
sion, makes  mention  of  hearing  Mr.  Janes  on  this 
tour.  He  says  of  his  preaching  before  the  Confer- 
ences, in  one  instance,  "  it  was  excellent,"  and  in  an- 
other, "  it  was  fine."  They  journeyed  together  in 
their  route  northward.  At  this  time  Mr.  Janes  writes : 

Dec.  29,  1841.  Left  New  York  to  visit  the  States  of  North 
and  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  Traveled  in  the  mail  line, 
and  reached  Wilmington,  N.  C.,  on  Saturday  evening.  Preached 
in  the  morning,  and  had  an  appointment  of  a  Bible  meeting 
given  out  in  the  different  churches  for  the  evening.  The 
evening,  however,  proved  a  very  stormy  one,  and  the  congre- 
gation was  quite  small.  I  addressed  those  who  were  present, 
and  obtained  a  promise  of  future  effort  in  the  Bible  cause. 


62  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Monday,  Jan.  3,  1842.  Went  in  steam  packet  from  Wil- 
mington to  Charleston,  S.  C.  Arrived  in  the  latter  city  early 
next  morning  after  a  very  pleasant  sail. 

Tuesday,  4.  Spent  this  day  and  the  following  in  calling  upon 
the  officers  of  the  Charleston  Bible  Society,  consulting  with 
them  about  my  own  and  their  operations.  On  Wednesday  the 
Board  were  together,  and  I  addressed  them.  They  fixed  the 
time  of  their  annual  meeting  to  suit  my  convenience,  re- 
solved to  employ  a  local  agent,  etc. 

Thursday,  6.  Went  to  Augusta,  Ga.,  by  railroad.  The  next 
day  started  for  Milledgeville,  at  which  place  I  arrived  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  following  day,  after  a  very  fatiguing  ride  all 
night,  being  once  upset  and  somewhat  lamed.  I  found 
the  Georgia  Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  session,  to  whom  I  was  introduced,  and  by  whom  I 
was  courteously  received.  The  next  day  being  Sabbath,  I 
preached  a  missionary  sermon  in  the  evening.  On  Monday  I 
attended  Conference ;  had  a  Bible  committee  appointed.  On 
Tuesday  the  before-named  committee  reported,  and  I  was 
permitted  to  address  the  Conference.  Several  expressive  and 
important  resolutions  were  passed  by  the  Conference.  In  the 
afternoon  visited  the  Oglethorpe  University,  where  we  have  an 
auxiliary  society  among  the  students  and  professors.  This 
society  has  been  efficient.  The  term  having  only  just  com- 
menced, but  few  of  the  students  were  present.  Good  prom- 
ises were  given.  In  the  evening  the  Milledgeville  and  Bald- 
win County  Bible  Society  held  a  public  meeting,  which  I 
addressed  at  length.  A  good  feeling  was  manifested.  A 
liberal  collection  was  taken.  A  collection  of  about  $100  was 
also  taken  in  the  Conference  in  the  morning.  At  the  mission- 
ary meeting  the  evening  before  a  very  liberal  collection  was 
taken,  (which  meeting  I  also  addressed,)  which  rendered  the 
collection  for  the  Bible  cause  the  more  acceptable. 

Jan.  12.  Returned  to  Augusta. 

Thursday,  13.  This  evening  attended  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  Georgia  Bible  Society.  Notice  not  having  been  properly 
given,  the  attendance  was  small.  I,  however,  addressed  those 


ACTIVITY  IN  THE  SOUTH.  63 

who  were  present.  The  next  day  the  Board  met,  and  resolved 
to  hold  another  meeting-  the  following  Tuesday  evening. 

Friday,  14.  I  left  in  the  evening  for  Savannah,  traveled  all 
night,  though  staging  and  the  road  rough.  In  the  morning 
reached  the  railroad,  and  arrived  at  Savannah  about  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Waited  on  Dr.  Preston,  who  invited 
me  to  preach  in  his  church  on  the  following  morning,  and  I 
agreed  to  address  the  Methodist  Church  in  the  evening. 
Sunday  preached  as  before  mentioned.  The  morning  con- 
gregation was  large  and  attentive.  I  am  sure  good  will 
result  from  the  sermons.  In  the  evening  we  had  a  good 
meeting  in  the  Methodist  Church.  Here  a  liberal  collection 
was  taken. 

Monday,  17.  Returned  to  Augusta  by  the  same  fatiguing 
route.  On  the  i8th  the  meeting  of  the  Georgia  Bible  Society 
was  held.  The  attendance  better  than  before.  The  meeting 
was  quite  a  spirited  one.  Addressed  by  myself,  Professor 
Means,  and  the  president,  Professor  Ford.  A  liberal  collec- 
tion was  taken  up  for  the  cause. 

Wednesday,  19.  Rode  from  Augusta  to  Charleston.  The 
evening  of  Thursday,  2oth,  was  fixed  as  the  anniversary  of  the 
Charleston  Bible  Society.  The  evening  proved  stormy,  and 
the  meeting  was  postponed  until  the  following  Monday  even- 
ing. Contrary  to  my  calculations,  I  had  to  remain  until  that 
time.  On  Sabbath  I  preached  in  two  of  the  Methodist 
churches,  and  in  the  church  of  Mr.  Smyth,  Presbyterian. 
Monday  evening  the  meeting  was  well  attended,  and  was  ad- 
dressed by  the  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Dr. 
Stevens,  of  Savannah,  Ga. ;  Rev.  William  M.  Wightman,  of 
Charleston  ;  and  myself.  It  was  certainly  a  good  meeting,  and 
good  will  result  from  it. 

Tuesday,  25.  I  started  for  Charlotte,  N.  C.,  the  seat  of  the 
South  Carolina  Conference,  to  attend  its  sittings.  I  passed 
through  Columbia  and  Camden.  At  Camden  I  stopped  and 
delivered  a  Bible  discourse.  The  friends  of  the  cause  here 
seem  quite  spirited,  especially  in  the  matter  of  their  county 
supply.  Dr.  George  Reynolds  .is  very  much  interested,  and  is 


64  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JAXES. 

an  active,  influential  citizen.  I  arrived  at  Charlotte  on  the 
28th,  after  a  very  fatiguing  ride  of  nearly  two  hundred  miles  in 
a  two-horse  stage  over  almost  impassable  roads.  The  Con- 
ference was  in  session.  Committee  was  appointed  who  con- 
sidered and  reported  upon  the  Bible  cause.  On  Tuesday  I  was 
permitted  to  address  the  Conference  on  the  subject,  when  ap- 
propriate resolutions  were  passed,  etc.  On  Monday  evening  we 
had  a  public  Bible  meeting,  which  I  addressed,  as  did  also  the 
Rev.  W.  A.  Smith.  A  very  liberal  collection  was  taken  for  the 
Bible  cause.  On  Tuesday  evening  I  started  on  my  homeward 
journey.  About  two  hundred  miles  of  the  distance  I  had  to 
travel  by  stage  over  the  worst  road  I  ever  traveled  in  my  life. 
Some  of  the  way  we  were  obliged,  on  account  of  the  badness 
of  the  roads,  to  travel  in  an  open  wagon  all  night  through  the 
rain.  Sometimes  we  stuck  fast  in  the  mud,  and  were  delayed 
until  we  could  send  for  men  and  horses  to  get  us  out.  Once 
upset,  but  mercifully  preserved  from  serious  injury.  I  arrived 
at  home  February  8,  having  been  gone  six  weeks,  and  traveled 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  miles.  Thankful  to  God  for  his 
care  and  kindness. 

Mr.  Janes  is  so  lenient  as  not  to  state,  as  Bishop 
Waugh  does,  that  the  upset  which  they  had  was 
due  to  a  drunken  driver. 

During  this  absence  he  preached  and  spoke 
about  twenty-five  times.  Whenever  he  was  not 
traveling  he  was  either  conferring  with  boards  or 
agents,  or  engaged  in  addressing  meetings,  so  that 
he  was  constantly  employed.  He  would  pass  the 
night  on  well-nigh  impassable  stage-roads,  and  the 
next  day  speak  with  as  much  power  and  freshness  as 
if  the  night  had  been  spent  in  soothing  sleep  on  a 
sumptuous  couch.  Ministers  and  people  were  car- 
ried away  with  his  zeal  and  eloquence,  and  the 


VISITS  THE  WEST.  65 

cause  of  Bible  distribution  received  an  impetus  it 
had  never  before  known. 

He  thus  concludes  his  observations : 

On  the  whole,  though  I  found  some  indifference  to  the  high 
claims  of  the  blessed  Bible  cause  in  the  South,  yet  I  think  it 
has  a  strong  hold  on  the  affections  of  the  people,  and  is  pros- 
pering. When  the  financial  condition  of  the  country  shall  im- 
prove, I  think  the  contributions  will  be  greatly  enlarged.  In 
my  tour  I  labored  to  do  all  the  good  in  my  power.  How 
much  good  was  done  I  do  not  expect  to  know  until  the  judg- 
ment-day. 

Seldom  did  any  other  reference  to  his  deeds  es- 
cape him  than  what  is  here  so  modestly  expressed — 
that  he  had  labored  to  do  what  good  he  could,  and 
was  content  to  await  the  results  until  the  judgment. 
He  worked  and  "  endured  as  seeing  Him  who  is 
invisible." 

On  his  return  to  the  office  at  New  York,  a  brief 
record — a  line  or  two — for  each  day  shows  the  same 
incessant  activity.  One  example  is  sufficient. 

Feb.  1 3.  Preached  in  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  At- 
torney-street, New  York,  and  took  up  a  collection  for  the 
Bible  cause. 

In  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1842  he  visited  the 
Western  conferences.  His  advocacy  of  the  Bible 
cause  was  here  equally  effective  as  in  the  South. 
Some  of  the  older  preachers  of  the  Ohio  Conference 
still  refer  in  warm  terms  to  an  address  which  he 
delivered  before  that  conference,  at  its  session  in 


66  LIFE  or  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Hamilton,  Ohio,  in  September  of  this  year.     There 
were  present  such  men  as  William  H.  Raper,  James 

B.  Finley,   George  W.  Walker,  John    F.   Wright, 

C.  Elliott,  L.  L.  Hamline,  Michael  Marley,  Joseph 
Trimble,  William  Nast,  and  others,  whose  names, 
for  pulpit  power,  have  become  familiar  throughout 
the  State  of  Ohio.     These  men,  who  were  accus- 
tomed to  move  the  masses  as  a  storm  bends  the 
forests,  found  themselves  entirely  at  the  will  of  the 
youthful  secretary.     At  first,  instructed  and  enter- 
tained, they  were  at  length    captured,   and   amid 
tears  and  shouts  his  address  was  concluded,  and  by 
a  unanimous  vote  they  stood  ready  to  sustain  his 
cause. 

His  address  before  the  Indiana  Conference,  held 
at  Centreville,  Indiana,  in  the  same  autumn,  was 
equally  successful.  As  proof  of  the  abiding  impres- 
sion produced  by  it,  we  insert  a  letter  written  to 
him  by  Mr.  William  Young,  a  venerable  Christian, 
many  years  after,  from  Painesville,  Ohio. 

.  Some  twenty  years  or  more  ago,  when  you  were  agent  for 
the  American  Bible  Society,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  you 
address  the  Indiana  Conference,  at  Centreville,  Bishop  Morris 
presiding.  I  shall  never  forget  the  effect  of  the  appeal  you 
made  in  behalf  of  God's  Bible.  I  was  brought  under  convic- 
tion that  I  had  not  done  my  whole  duty  to  this  glorious  cause, 
though  I  had  done  something  every  year.  In  making  my  will 
I  left  $1,000  to  the  cause,  if  it  could  be  spared.  But,  as  God 
has  given  me  the  means,  I  wish  to  execute  this  part  of  my  will 
before  I  go  hence,  as  I  owe  every  thing  I  have  that  is  good  or 


AGAIN  IN  THE  SOUTH.  67 

comfortable  for  soul  and  body,  for  time  and  eternity,  to  God's 
Bible.  I  recollect  some  Christians  of  Philadelphia  gave 
Bishop  Asbury  some  Bibles  to  distribute  among  the  poor. 
On  his  return  next  year  he  remarked  from  the  pulpit,  "  There 
may  be  some  errors  in  my  preaching,  but  when  I  was  distrib- 
uting the  word  of  God,  without  note  or  comment,  then  I  knew 
I  was  sowing  the  pure  seed  of  the  kingdom."  Will  you  per- 
mit me,  through  you,  to  present  to  the  American  Bible  Society 
a  bond,  payable  in  New  York,  for  $1,000,  drawing  7  per  cent, 
interest.  ...  I  am  an  old  man,  past  seventy,  much  afflicted, 
but  I  have  no  cause  to  complain,  for  the  lines  have  fallen  to 
me  in  pleasant  places,  and  I  have  a  goodly  heritage. 

In  the  winter  of  1843-44  Mr.  Janes  made  another 
tour  of  the  South  as  Bible  Secretary.  A  commu- 
nication from  Mr.  C.  C.  North,  a  Methodist  layman 
of  New  York,  who  was  then  residing  in  Alabama, 
gives  a  brief  account  of  his  visit  to  the  Alabama 
Conference,  and  will  illustrate  the  uniform  effects 
which  attended  his  ministrations.  Mr.  North  says : 

In  the  winter  of  1843  we  were  residing  in  Columbus,  Miss. 
The  same  winter  the  Alabama  Conference  held  its  session  in 
the  town,  the  venerable  Bishop  Soule  presiding.  During  the 
Conference  Rev.  E.  S.  Janes,  recently  chosen  Financial  Secre- 
tary of  the  American  Bible  Society,  arrived,  and  made  his 
home  at  our  house.  This  was  his  last  tour  through  the 
Southern  States,  in  which  he  visited  the  Conferences  as  repre- 
sentative of  that  great  society.  He  was  small  in  stature,  quick 
in  action,  gentle  in  manner,  while  his  countenance  wore  that 
quiet,  placid  expression  for  which  he  was  remarkable  in  after 
years.  His  pleasing  manner  and  strong  speeches  gave  him  a 
place  at  once  in  the  hearts  of  the  preachers. 

His  sermon  before  the  Conference,  on  Sunday  morning, 
preached  to  a  crowded  house,  was  one  of  the  most  impressive 


68  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

of  the  many  that  I  have  heard  from  his  lips.  His  theme  was 
"  Heaven,"  and  during  the  delivery  he  seemed  rapt  with 
its  glory.  His  countenance  shone  like  that  of  Moses.  The 
whole  congregation  were  deeply  moved  by  the  wonderful 
power  of  his  words,  and  responses  were  heard  from  all  parts 
of  the  house.  The  preacher  and  the  sermon  formed  a  life- 
picture  on  the  minds  of  all  present.  Similar  sermons  and 
speeches  before  the  Southern  Conferences  during  that  and  a 
former  tour  brought  him  to  the  attention  of  the  Southern  min- 
isters as  a  suitable  person  for  the  episcopacy,  and  no  doubt 
had  much  to  do  with  his  election  at  the  memorable  General 
Conference  of  1844. 

It  was  an  unspeakable  pleasure  to  have  him  for  our  guest. 
We  were  also  privileged  at  the  same  time  with  the  company 
of  the  Rev.  James  Collord,  who  represented  the  Book  Concern 
before  the  Conference.  To  us,  far  away  from  our  New  York 
home,  it  was  a  great  joy  to  have  at  our  table  these  friends  of 
our  youth.  Being  young  housekeepers,  Mr.  Janes  took  an 
affectionate  interest  in  our  domestic  concerns,  remarking, 
"Things  are  so  home-like."  During  his  stay  we  were  favored 
with  the  presence  (at  dinner)  of  the  venerable  Bishop  Soule  and 
his  wife.  Being  an  inexperienced  carver,  and  Mr.  Janes  notic- 
ing my  embarrassment,  he  kindly  offered  his  aid,  took  the  knife 
in  his  hand,  and  soon  skillfully  disjointed  the  turkey.  Ours 
was  then  an  undivided  Church.  None  of  that  company  per- 
ceived a  cloud  of  disorder  in  the  clear  sky.  A  universal  calm 
rested  upon  the  people,  and  no  one,  at  least  at  that  table, 
dreamed  of  the  storm  that  burst  upon  the  Church  the  fol- 
lowing year,  and  in  which  all  of  them  were  to  be  participants. 

His  addresses  before  promiscuous  audiences  were 
equally  effective  with  those  before  ministers.  In- 
deed, it  was  not  so  much  the  audience  or  the  occa- 
sion, as  the  subject,  which  filled  him.  Dr.  J.  S.  Por- 
ter, writes: 


BACKWOODS  EXPERIENCE.  69 

When  Secretary  of  the  American  Bible  Society  he  was 
down  for  a  speech  at  a  Bible  meeting  in  New  Brunswick, 
where  I  was  then  stationed.  By  some  means  the  cars  were 
detained,  and  he  did  not  reach  the  place  till  we  had  heard  two 
good,  but  rather  dull,  speakers,  when  he  came,  and  almost 
instantly  began  to  speak,  and  he  had  but  just  entered  upon  the 
delivery  of  his  speech  when  a  great  change  came  over  the 
audience.  From  apparent  drowsiness  there  was  a  lively  in- 
terest awakened,  and  all  seemed  as  if  a  new  spirit  had  taken 
possession  of  them. 


The  secretary  who  could  thus  stir  Conferences 
and  conventions  of  ministers  and  the  cultured  con- 
gregations of  the  cities,  was  equally  at  home  in  the 
backwoods,  and  was  not  indifferent  to  the  claims 
of  the  frontiersman.  An  incident  is  related  that  at 
one  time  he  had  an  engagement  to  meet  a  Conference 
on  a  certain  .Sabbath.  His  route  led  him  through 
a  rough,  mountainous  and  thinly  settled  section.  A 
break  in  the  railroad  prevented  him  from  reaching 
the  place  at  the  appointed  day,  though  he  made 
strenuous  exertions  to  do  so  by  stage  or  otherwise. 
.  .  .  Sabbath  morning  found  him  in  a  neighbor- 
hood where  a  few  cabins  surrounded  a  court-house, 
but  there  was  no  church.  By  inquiring  he  learned 
that  a  religious  meeting  was  to  be  held  that  morning 
in  the  court-house.  He  went,  took  his  seat,  no 
one  knowing  him.  An  unlettered  man  opened  the 
meeting,  reading  the  hymns  as  well  as  he  could. 
After  some  devotional  exercises  there  was  a  pause, 
when  the  leader  hitched  along  on  the  bench  on 


70  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

which  he  sat,  till  he  came  near  enough  to  Mr.  Janes 
to  whisper  in  his  ear,  "  Are  you  not  a  Church  mem- 
ber ?  "  An  affirmative  answer  being  given,  he  asked 
him  to  speak  to  the  people.  He  immediately  did 
so.  A  request  was  then  made  that  he  would  preach 
in  the  afternoon.  The  information  being  circu- 
lated, a  large  number  assembled,  and  among  them, 
men  in  their  hunting  shirts,  with  their  dogs  and 
guns,  came  to  the  place  and  listened  attentively  to 
the  word. 

No  mere  sketch  written  as  a  preparation  for 
speaking,  not  even  a  verbatim  report  of  a  speech, 
could  convey  an  adequate  idea  of  the  impression 
produced  by  his  living  utterance,  yet  I  cannot 
withhold  one  or  two  extracts  from  a  manuscript,  as 
indicating  his  mode  of  treating  the  great  subject 

with  which  he  was  intrusted. 

« 

The  Bible  is  an  observatory  so  elevated,  and  furnished  with 
instruments  so  perfect,  as  to  enable  the  careful,  patient,  and 
devout  student  to  survey  the  universe  of  truth  in  all  its  propor- 
tions and  perfections. 

Thank  God  for  this  perfect  library  ;  this  dictionary  in  which 
infinite,  unerring  wisdom  has  defined  all  subjects  of  human 
concernment ;  this  gazetteer  of  the  moral  world,  giving  the 
topography,  population,  and  condition  of  its  important  places  ; 
this  history,  giving  an  account  of  the  works  and  ways  of  God 
— of  the  dispensations  of  his  providence  and  grace,  including 
the  history  of  man,  his  creation,  fall,  and  redemption  ;  this  body 
of  divinity — stating  and  explaining  the  theological  sentiments 
of  the  infinite  Mind — the  divine  teachings  of  the  Deity.  The 
morality  of  the  Bible  does  that  which  no  other  code  of  morals 


SECRETARY  OF  BIBLE  SOCIETY.  71 

attempts  :  it  governs  the  heart ;  it  not  only  forbids  all  criminal 
practices,  as  murder,  adultery,  theft,  bearing  false  witness, 
lying,  etc.,  but  it  also  forbids  all  hatred,  wrath,  malice,  envy, 
and  all  evil  passions.  It  not  only  enjoins  the  performance  of 
all  virtuous  actions,  as  feeding  the  hungry,  clothing  the  naked, 
doing  good  unto  all  men,  being  ready  for  every  good  work,  ab- 
staining from  all  appearance  of  evil,  and  the  like ;  but  it  also 
requires  us  to  cultivate  all  pure  and  noble  sentiments,  chaste  and 
magnanimous  affections,  justice,  mercy,  and  truth,  love,  grati- 
tude, patience,  charity,  and  whatsoever  is  lovely  and  of  good 
report.  Furthermore,  in  order  to  secure  the  happiness  and 
harmony  of  community,  the  morality  of  the  Bible  demands  a 
rigid  and  jealous  conformity  in  conduct  to  the  institutions  of 
society.  No  man  can  meet  his  obligations  to  his  fellow-men 
without  carefully  complying  with  their  requirements.  Who- 
ever abrogates  the  holy  Sabbath,  thereby  robs  the  laboring 
classes  of  that  portion  of  time  which  they  need,  and  to  which 
they  are  entitled,  for  bodily  rest  and  moral  improvement. 
Hence  Bible  morality  remembers  the  Sabbath-day  to  keep  it 
holy.  To  annihilate  the  family  compact,  to  vitiate  or  discard 
the  domestic  relations,  would  be  to  visit  with  the  frosts  of 
death  every  flower  of  earth  that  delights  with  its  beauty  or 
regales  with  its  fragrance ;  to  contaminate  the  fresh  blood  of 
infancy,  to  poison  the  red  current  in  the  veins  of  age,  to  make 
leprous  the  whole  mass  of  humanity,  and  to  convert  the  sanct- 
uary of  the  affections  into  the  mad-house  of  the  passions. 

Civil  government  is  also  absolutely  essential  to  the  well- 
being  of  any  people.  Without  it,  society  would  resemble  the 
ocean  when  the  fury  of  the  tempest  is  troubling  its  waters, 
exposing  to  the  most  disastrous  shipwreck  every  vessel  of 
State,  and  placing  in  awful  jeopardy  the  many  precious  inter- 
ests with  which  they  are  so  richly  freighted.  The  man  who 
would  break  down  the  institutions  of  civil  government,  who 
would  destroy  the  authority  of  the  magistrate,  the  judge,  and 
the  rulers  of  the  land,  is  so  incendiary  in  his  spirit,  that,  if  he 
could  do  it  with  impunity,  he  would  set  fire  to  the  temple  of 
virtue,  and  exult  to  see  her  loveliest  altars  in  flames.  .  .  Such 


72  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

character  and  conduct  are  strongly  reprobated  in  the  oracles 
of  God.  Civil  as  well  as  domestic  government  is  therein  most 
authoritatively  established  and  most  solemnly  sanctioned. 
The  superiority  of  the  morality  derived  from  the  oracles  of 
God  is  seen  in  the  absoluteness  of  its  authority.  No  doubt,  in 
the  estimate  of  their  disciples  the  names  of  many  moralists 
have  given  a  degree  of  authority  to  their  precepts :  yet  the 
wisest  and  most  excellent  among  them  have  deeply  felt,  that  in 
order  to  clothe  their  teachings  with  authority,  they  must  also 
give  to  them  an  apparent  fitness,  and  clearly  establish  their 
expediency  and  propriety. 

That  there  is  a  perfect  fitness  in  all  the  precepts  and  prin- 
ciples of  scripture-morality  is  unquestionable.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary, however,  that  this  fitness  should  appear  in  order  to  invest 
these  precepts  with  the  highest  authority.  The  source  from 
which  they  emanate  endows  them  with  this  attribute.  .  .  . 
Therefore,  though  there  are  some  things  in  the  divine  require- 
ments above  our  understanding,  there  is  nothing  unreasonable. 
When  we  cannot  explain,  we  can  consistently  confide.  The 
sanctions  of  Scripture  morality  are  vastly  more  impressive  and 
efficient  than  those  of  any  other  code.  .  .  .  But  the  Bible  brings 
to  us  a  religion  of  truth  and  praise  and  purity,  a  religion  of 
light  and  love  and  joy.  .  .  .  The  Christian  system  derives  ex- 
ceeding glory  from  the  competent  Saviour  which  it  provides 
and  presents. 

That  man  is  wicked  in  character  and  ruined  in  condition  is 
a  fact  universally  felt  and  generally  confessed.  His  utter 
inability  to  retrieve  his  condition  and  regain  his  lost  character 
is  self-evident.  Therefore  if  relief  and  restoration  are  ob- 
tained it  must  be  at  the  hands  of  another.  But  in  whom  can 
help  be  found  ?  To  this  engrossing  question  the  oracles  of 
earth  are  silent,  but  the  oracles  of  God  distinctly  announce 
his  name — it  is  Jesus  !  They  also  fully  describe  his  character, 
and  clearly  set  forth  the  manner  of  his  mediation.  "  God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believeth  in  him  might  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life." 


SECRETARY  OF  BIBLE  SOCIETY.  73 

As  showing  the  high  appreciation  of  Mr.  Janes's 
services  to  the  Bible  Society,  I  insert  a  copy  of  the 
resolutions  passed  by  the  Board  of  Managers  when 
the  voice  of  his  Church  in  its  highest  council  had 
called  him  to  another  sphere  of  action  : 

Resolved,  That  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Dr.  Janes  be  ac- 
cepted in  accordance  with  his  wishes. 

Resolved,  That  in  so  doing  the  managers  would  express 
their  unqualified  satisfaction  as  to  the  efficient  and  impartial 
manner  in  which  he  has  here  discharged  his  official  duties,  and 
would  fervently  invoke  the  divine  blessing  upon  him  in  the 
new  station  to  which  he  is  called. 

Resolved,  That  while  they  regret  the  loss  of  his  entire  serv- 
ices in  connection  with  this  Society,  they  anticipate  still,  from 
his  known  attachment  to  the  Bible  cause  as  well  as  from  his 
present  letter,  his  occasional  aid,  and  would  therefore  author- 
ize and  invite  him  to  present  its  claims  on  such  occasions  and 
in  such  portions  of  the  country  as  in  his  judgment  may  seem 
proper  and  useful. 

Many  years  afterward,  when  this  eminent  servant 
of  God  had  been  called  to  that  higher  and  wider 
sphere  which  is  above  and  beyond  the  calls  and 
appointments  of  the  militant  Church,  the  same 
board,  in  an  extended  minute  with  regard  to  him, 
made  the  following  reference  to  this  period  of  his 
services : 

In  the  year  1838  he  appeared  as  one  of  the  anniversary 
speakers.  Two  years  later  he  was  made  the  Financial  Secre- 
tary of  the  Society.  The  duties  of  this  office,  which  he  dis- 
charged for  four  years,  awakened  the  rich  enthusiasm  of  his 
soul.  Impressions  were  made  by  his  thrilling  appeals,  espe- 


74  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

cially  in  the  West  and  South,  of  which  mention  is  made  in 
glowing  terms  after  a  lapse  of  more  than  thirty  years. 

Almost  immediately  upon  Mr.  Janes's  resignation 
as  Secretary,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Managers,  and  thus  through  all  his  subsequent 
life  he  was  intimately  associated  with  the  good  and 
honored  men  who  have  brought  this  benign  institu- 
tion to  its  present  marvelous  proportions  and  use- 
fulness. 


THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.      75 


CHAPTER  V. 

1844. 

The   Methodist   Episcopal   Church  —  The    General    Conference — 
Elected  to  the  Episcopacy. 

THUS  far  I  have  said  but  little  about  the  Church 
of  which  Mr.  Janes  was  an  accredited  and  use- 
ful minister.  Historically  and  geographically  it 
might  be  regarded  at  this  period,  1844,  as  more 
truly  the  national  Church  of  America  than  any  other 
one  denomination  of  Christians.  While  not  as  old 
as  some  in  its  organization,  it  exceeded  any  other 
in  the  number  of  its  members,  and  in  the  univer- 
sality of  its  spread.  While  other  Churches  were 
strong  in  the  North  or  the  South,  in  the  East  or 
^he  West,  in  the  central  East  or  central  West,  in 
the  larger  cities  or  the  rural  districts,  Methodism 
obtained  every-where,  and  had  attained,  by  a  re- 
markably equal  growth,  a  firm  footing  in  the  whole 
land.  It  stood  side  by  side  with  the  oldest  and 
richly  endowed  Churches  of  the  great  cities :  en- 
tering the  Southern  States  when  they  were  colo- 
nies, it  became  quite  generally  the  Church  of  the 
South  :  in  New  England,  though  late  in  the  field, 
it  fought  its  way  amid  strongly  intrenched  Congre- 
gationalism, and  soon  conquered  recognition  :  and 


76  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

in  the  great  West  it  began  with  the  first  white  set- 
tlers of  the  soil,  and  moving  abreast  with  the  ever- 
advancing  population,  it  planted  itself  on  every 
frontier.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was 
pre-eminently  the  Church  of  the  people. 

This  growth,  at  once  solid  and  diffused,  was  due 
to  no  one  human  agency  so  much  as  to  its  organ- 
ized and  organizing  itinerant  ministry.  The  regu- 
lar ministers  are  a  body  of  traveling  preachers,  all 
under  direct  supervision,  controlling  and  being  con- 
trolled. Theoretically — and  the  theory  is  the  re- 
sult of  experiment  rather  than  of  a  priori  speculation 
— nothing  can  be  more  complete  than  the  Meth- 
odist system.  The  class-meeting,  composed  of  pri- 
vate members,  as  the  unit,  is  in  charge  of  one  who 
is  the  leader ;  the  classes  and  leaders  are  in  charge 
of  the  pastor;  the  pastors  and  leaders  are  under 
the  oversight  of  presiding  elders  ;  and  the  presiding 
elders,  pastors,  and  all  official  members  are  under 
the  supervision  of  Bishops  or  General  Superintend- 
ents ;  and  all  officers  of  every  grade  act  under  the 
authority  of  the  General  Conference,  the  highest 
legislative  and  judicial  body  known  to  the  Church, 
and  are  amenable  to  the  rules  and  regulations  which 
it,  under  certain  restrictions,  may  enact. 

Too  much  credit  cannot  be  awarded  to  the  rank 
and  file  of  the  earlier  Methodist  ministry.  Their 
practical  intelligence,  their  deep  piety,  and  their  self- 
sacrificing  zeal  have  not  been  excelled  in  any  age 


METHODIST  EPISCOPACY.  77 

of  Christianity  :  yet  I  am  persuaded  that  they  owed 
their  efficiency  in  large  measure  to  the  Episcopal 
supervision  to  which  they  were  so  strictly,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  so  loyally  subject.  The  one-man 
power,  legally  and  morally  authorized,  to  touch,  in- 
spire, and  move  at  will,  hither  and  thither  through 
the  whole  Church,  according  to  its  needs,  the  indi- 
viduals of  the  great  body  of  the  ministry,  was  a 
chief  cause  of  the  grand  achievements  of  the  itiner- 
ancy. The  general  superintendency  imparted  to  the 
itinerancy  a  sagacious  adaptation,  a  flexibility,  uni- 
formity, and  compactness  of  movement,  which  ren- 
dered it  not  only  a  conquering  army,  but  an  army 
of  occupation ;  not  only  a  corps  of  evangelists  who 
penetrated  the  waste  places  and  converted  the  peo- 
ple to  God ;  but  a  body  of  pastors  as  well,  who  fed 
the  flock  of  Christ,  and  nurtured  and  established  a 
Church  in  the  wilderness.  The  Episcopacy,  like  the 
pastorate,  is  itself  an  itinerant  ministry — the  Bish- 
ops having  no  diocese,  but  being  required  to  travel 
at  large  in  the  work — so  that  when  its  functions  are 
exercised  upon  any  one  measure  or  in  anyone  place, 
it  concentrates  for  the  time  the  wisdom  which  is 
based  upon  the  widest  observation. 

This  feature  of  itinerant  general  superintendency 
in  the  Episcopacy  had  the  additional  advantage  of 
promoting  uniformity  of  doctrine  and  discipline  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  history  of 

Episcopacy  in  the  primitive  Church  shows  that  the 

4* 


78  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

doctrines  and  usages  of  the  Churches  at  different 
prominent  centers — such  as  Carthage,  Rome,  Anti- 
och,  Alexandria,  and  Constantinople — varied  with 
the  opinions  and  habits  of  the  Bishops  who  occu- 
pied the  several  sees,  and  thus  variations  in  creed 
and  custom  arose,  and  gradually  hardened  into  obsti- 
nate and  irreconcilable  differences. 

The  Methodist  Episcopalians  were  fortunate  in 
a  provision  tending  to  guard  against  the  recurrence 
of  such  an  evil  in  their  own  constitution  and  his- 
tory. It  could  not  be  otherwise  than  that  their 
system  should  be  tested  in  its  first  beginning,  and 
that,  like  all  other  systems  depending  upon  the 
assent  of  free  people,  it  should  be  liable  to  rup- 
tures and  losses ;  yet  it  is  remarkable  to  what  ex- 
tent it  composed  differences,  resisted  fundamental 
changes,  survived  transient  secessions,  retained  its 
integrity,  and  pushed  its  way  through  all  diffi- 
culties, and  became  numerically  the  foremost  re- 
ligious body  pf  the  nation.  It  requires  but  a 
glance  to  see  the  agency  of  a  simple,  pure,  un- 
worldly traveling  superintendency  in  it  all.  And 
when  a  general  rupture  of  the  Church  came,  the 
issue  was  not  a  doctrinal  one,  nor  was  it  a  question 
of  the  polity  relating  to  the  general  workings  of 
ecclesiastical  administration,  but  it  was  a  politico- 
religious  issue.  African  slavery  was  legalized  by 
many  of  the  States  of  the  Union  ;  it  was  recognized 
and  protected  by  the  General  Government :  and  it 


THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.      79 

was  not  possible  for  any  ecclesiastical  foresight  in 
the  leaders  of  the  Church — which  was  co-extensive 
with  the  nation,  and  which  had  ever  felt  that  it  was 
its  mission  to  save  men  irrespective  of  their  social 
and  political  conditions — to  provide  against  the  di- 
visive results  of  an  evil  which  had  so  insinuated  it- 
self into  the  body  politic  as  to  temporarily  endanger 
the  nation  before  the  evil  could  be  ejected  and  de- 
stroyed. 

But  I  must  not  too  far  anticipate  my  theme. 
The  four  years  immediately  preceding  1844  were 
years  of  unprecedented  prosperity.  Revivals  of  re- 
ligion had  extensively  prevailed,  and  converts  by 
thousands  had  been  added  to  the  Methodist  Epis 
copal  Church.  It  was  filling  the  country  from  the 
Aroostook  to  the  Rio  Grande,  from  the  Atlantic 
slopes  to  the  Mississippi  valley,  with  its  adherents, 
its  churches,  schools,  colleges,  and  publications. 
But  it  was  in  this  high  prosperity  fast  approaching 
its  greatest  trial.  A  crisis  was  at  hand.  Already 
the  evil  angel  which  was  to  confuse  the  counsels 
of  its  wise  men  was  hovering  in  the  air. 

On  May  I,  1844,  the  ninth  delegated  General 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  as- 
sembled in  the  Greene-street  Church,  New  York. 
Bishops  Soule,  Hedding,  Andrew,  Waugh,  and 
Morris  were  present,  and  149  delegates  of  the  whole 
number  (180)  elected  answered  to  their  names. 

As  the  Conference  proceeded  it  became  apparent 


8o  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANKS. 

that  the  exciting  question  of  slavery  would  obtrude 
itself  upon  the  members  and  become  the  all-absorb- 
ing topic  of  the  session.  The  appeal  of  the  Rev. 
Francis  A.  Harding  from  the  action  of  the  Balti- 
more Conference,  suspending  him  from  the  minis- 
try for  slave-holding,  brought  the  subject  very  early 
in  the  proceedings  directly  to  the  attention  of  the 
body;  and  then  very  soon  it  was  rumored  that  the 
Rev.  James  O.  Andrew,  one  of  the  Bishops  of  the 
Church,  had  become  involved  in  the  ownership  of 
slaves.  The  case  of  Mr.  Harding  was  fully  argued, 
and  the  action  of  the  Baltimore  Conference  was 
sustained. 

The  Conference  approached  with  the  utmost 
caution  and  delicacy  the  case  of  Bishop  Andrew. 
It  was  not  until  that  of  Mr.  Harding  had  been  dis- 
posed of,  and  a  committee  on  pacification  had  been 
appointed  to  confer  with  the  Bishops,  and  had 
reported  their  inability  to  agree  upon  any  meas- 
ures, and  many  of  the  members  of  the  Conference 
felt  themselves  so  far  embarrassed  by  the  rumor 
touching  the  Bishop  as  that  the  further  business  of 
the  Conference  was  obstructed,  that  a  motion  of  in- 
quiry into  the  matter  was  finally  ordered.  A  report 
from  the  Committee  on  Episcopacy,  to  which  the 
motion  of  inquiry  had  been  referred,  brought  the 
subject  before  the  Conference  on  May  22,  in  the 
statement,  confirmed  by  letter  from  Bishop  Andrew 
himself,  that  he  had  become  connected  with  slavery. 


THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1844.      81 

A  preamble  and  resolution  were  at  once  offered  by 
Revs.  A.  Griffith  and  J.  Davis,  of  the  Baltimore 
Conference,  briefly  reciting  the  facts,  and  the  in- 
compatibility of  slave-holding  by  a  general  super- 
intendent with  the  duties  which  he  owed  to  the 
whole  Church,  and  affectionately  requesting  him  to 
resign  his  office.  The  Rev.  J.  B.  Finley  and  J.  M. 
Trimble,  of  the  Ohio  Conference,  offered  a  substi- 
tute, which,  after  reciting  substantially  the  same 
facts  and  arguments,  concluded  as  follows  : 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  General  Conference  that 
he  desist  from  the  exercise  of  this  office  so  long  as  this  impedi- 
ment remains. 

It  was  soon  made  to  appear  from  the  declarations 
of  Southern  delegates,  and  of  Bishop  Andrew  him- 
self, that  he  would  not  resign,  even  at  the  request 
of  the  Conference ;  so  that  the  whole  ground  of 
action  was  shifted  to  an  acceptance  or  rejection  of 
the  substitute.  The  Bishops  presented  an  address, 
signed  at  first  by  all  but  Bishop  Andrew,  from 
which,  however,  Bishop  Redding  afterward  with- 
drew his  name,  advising,  in  the  interest  of  union 
and  peace,  the  postponement  of  action  for  four 
years.  This  address  was  made  the  order  of  the 
day  for  June  I,  and,  on  motion,  was  laid  on  the 
table,  so  that  the  Conference  declined  to  consider, 
much  less  to  adopt,  its  recommendation.  Mr.  Col- 
lins, of  Baltimore,  then  moved  to  take  up  Mr.  Fin- 
ley's  substitute,  upon  which  the  previous  question 


82  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

being  called  and  sustained,  the  vote  was  taken  by 
yeas  and  nays,  and  the  substitute  was  adopted  by 
a  vote  of  1 1 1  to  69. 

This  vote  was  decisive  of  the  whole  issue ;  it  vir- 
tually divided  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Efforts  were  made  to  break  its  force  by  explanatory 
and  modifying  resolutions;  but  all  in  vain.  It  was 
clear  that  those  who  voted  with  the  majority  thought 
and  meant  to  say  that  a  slave-holding  Bishop  could 
not  be,  and  should  not  be,  an  acceptable  Bishop 
of  the  Church ;  and  it  was  equally  clear  that  those 
who  voted  with  the  minority — most  of  them,  at  any 
rate — meant  that  they  could  not  and  would  not 
yield  the  point,  that  what  was  admissible  in  them- 
selves was  a  disqualification  in  a  Bishop.  A  protest 
was  presented  by  fifty-one  of  the  minority,  from 
thirteen  Annual  Conferences  in  the  slave-holding 
States.  In  this  they  rehearsed  their  grievances, 
and  concluded  with  the  declaration  that  they  did 
not  believe  that  the  objects  and  purposes  of  the 
Christian  ministry  and  Church  organization  could 
be.  successfully  accomplished  by  them  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  General  Conference  as  then 
constituted. 

On  the  strength  of  this  declaration,  and  to  meet 
the  possibilities  which  it  involved,  a  committee  of 
nine,  of  which  the  Rev.  R.  Paine,  D.D.,  was  chair- 
man, reported  a  Plan  of  Separation  for  the  Church, 
in  the  event  that  the  Southern  delegates  should  find 


THE  PLAN  OF  SEPARATION.  83 

it  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  their  work  to 
form  a  distinct  organization.  This  Plan  provided 
for  fixing  the  territorial  line  of  division,  and  also  the 
partition  of  the  chartered  properties  of  the  Church, 
and  it  was  adopted  by  an  overwhelming  majority. 
It  was  claimed  at  the  time  by  the  leaders  of  the 
Northern  delegates  that  this  action  did  not  divide  the 
Church,  and  was  not  meant  to  do  so  ;  that  the  Plan 
was  a  peace  measure,  to  conciliate  the  South  and 
prevent  division.  There  certainly  could  have  been 
no  stronger  evidence  of  the  magnanimity  of  the 
Northern  delegates  than  the  concession  here  made. 
As  much  cannot  be  said  of  their  worldly  wisdom. 
Their  assertion  that  the  Plan  did  not  divide  the 
Church,  was  subsequently  overruled  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States,  in  the  litigation  after- 
ward entailed  by  an  attempt  to  draw  back  from  the 
fulfillment  of  its  conditions. 

Whatever  was  the  intent  of  the  Plan,  whatever 
should  have  been  its  final  legal  effect,  it  must  be 
recorded,  to  the  credit  of  the  representatives  of  a 
great  Church,  tossed  and  torn  as  they  were  by  -as 
fearful  an  agitation  as  ever  vexed  a  legislative  body, 
that  its  adoption  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ex- 
hibitions of  equity  and  self-surrender  the  history  of 
Christendom  has  known.  It  certainly  proved  on 
the  part  of  those  who  felt  constrained  to  vote  that 
Bishop  Andrew  should  desist,  etc.,  from  his  office, 
that  they  were  controlled  by  none  other  than  the 


84  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

highest  and  purest  motives.  Nor  should  it  be  as- 
sumed that  the  leaders  of  the  South  meditated  all 
the  consequences  which  afterward  followed,  and 
adroitly  secured  the  Plan  with  a  full  determination 
to  separate  and  reap  its  benefits.  "  Like  people  like 
priest."  It  may  be  that  they  only  yielded  at  the 
last  to  a  popular  demand  which  they  found  it  diffi- 
cult if  not  impossible  to  resist.  Looked  at  now  in 
the  light  of  history,  that  Plan,  with  all  the  parties 
to  it,  were  parts  only  of  another  greater  and  higher 
plan,  which  an  unseen  Hand  was  shaping  and  guid- 
ing for  the  speedy  and  final  extirpation  of  the  cause 
of  all  their  troubles,  in  the  extinction  of  American 
slavery,  and,  as  may  be  devoutly  hoped,  for  the  ulti- 
mate re-union  of  their  children,  and  children's  chil- 
dren, on  the  broad  and  indestructible  basis  of  the 
freedom  and  equality  of  the  human  race,  and  the 
scriptural  character  of  Episcopal  Methodism. 

I  have  recalled  this  painful  crisis  of  American 
Methodism  as  a  necessary  introduction  to  the  most 
eventful  epoch  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Janes.  He 
was  a  silent  but  a  close  and  deeply  interested 
observer  of  the  scenes  which  have  been  narrated. 
He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  men  who  were 
actors  in  them,  and,  as  a  sincere  lover  of  the  Church, 
he  watched  with  the  utmost  jealousy  every  measure 
which  was  adopted.  Although  not  a  member  of 
the  General  Conference,  yet  being  at  home  in  New 
York,  and  a  prominent  officer  of  the  great  Society 


ELECTED  A  BISHOP.  85 

of  which  the  Church  was  a  patron,  he  attended 
constantly  upon  its  sessions  and  mingled  freely  with 
the  delegates. 

On  June  7,  in  accordance  with  a  previous  resolu- 
tion, the  Conference  proceeded  to  the  election  of 
two  additional  Bishops.  The  whole  number  of  votes 
cast  was  176;  necessary  to  a  choice,  89.  On  the 
first  ballot  Edmund  S.  Janes  received  86,  Leonidas 
L.  Hamline  75,  George  Peck  81,  and  the  rest  were 
scattering.  On  the  second  ballot  Edmund  S.  Janes 
received  102,  Leonidas  L.  Hamline  90,  and  George 
Peck  80.  On  this  ballot  it  was  ascertained  there 
were  more  ballots  cast  than  there  were  voters,  and 
the  ballot  was  declared  void.  A  third  ballot  was 
taken  and  177  votes  cast,  of  which  L.  L.  Hamline 
received  102  and  E.  S.  Janes  99,  and  each  having 
received  a  majority  of  the  whole,  they  were  declared 
duly  elected  Bishops  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  On  Monday,  June  10,  they  were  solemnly 
consecrated  to  the  office  and  work  of  a  Bishop. 

The  attention  of  the  members  of  the  General 
Conference  was  first  decidedly  turned  to  Dr.  Ham- 
line  as  a  suitable  person  for  a  Bishop  by  his  argu- 
ment of  the  case  of  Bishop  Andrew.  The  Rev. 
F.  G.  Hibbard,  D.D.,  his  latest  biographer,  says: 

The  office  had  sought  him,  not  he  the  office.  The  thought 
of  his  fitness  for  the  Episcopacy  had  burst  upon  the  Conference 
like  the  sudden  blaze  of  a  meteor  when  he  stood  before  them, 
fourteen  days  before  the  final  adjournment,  and  delivered  his 


86  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

incomparable  speech  on  the  case  of  Bishop  Andrew.  In  pri- 
vate intercourse  and  in  committees  he  had  already  been  felt 
and  appreciated,  and  his  name  was  getting  into  leading  circles. 
But  it  was  on  that  day  and  in  that  speech  that  he  first  stood 
before  the  public  in  his  full  proportions.* 

With  Mr.  Janes  it  was  quite  different.  He  had 
had  no  opportunity  of  impressing  the  Conference, 
either  in  open  session  or  in  Committee,  and  his 
election  seems  to  have  been  wholly  due  to  the 
opinion  which  the  members  had  formed  of  his 
character  and  work.  He  had  impressed  the  whole 
Church  with  his  eloquence,  piety,  and  wisdom  ;  but 
as  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  General  Conference, 
and  was  only  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  it  likely 
would  not  have  occurred  to  that  body  to  elect  him 
to  so  high  and  responsible  a  position  if  the  delegates 
from  the  South  had  not  adopted  him  as  their  can- 
didate. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  T.  B.  Sargent,  of  Baltimore,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  General  Conference,  and  who 
had  voted  with  the  Southern  delegates  in  the  ac- 
tion upon  Bishop  Andrew's  case,  in  the  communi- 
cation previously  quoted  thus  alludes  to  the  can- 
didacy of  Mr.  Janes : 

To  return  to  1844:  when  the  Baltimore  delegation  met  to 
confer  in  regard  to  men  to  "  strengthen  the  Episcopacy."  each 
one  was  called  on  to  name  a  man.  When  my  turn  came  I 

*  "  Biography  of  Leonidas  L.  Hamline,  D.D.,"  pp.  148,  149. 
Walden  &  Stowe,  Cincinnati,  O.  1881. 


THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1844.      87 

nominated  Edmund  Storer  Janes,  with  a  remark  touching  his 
fitness  for  the  office.  "They  laughed  me  to  scorn."  Fifteen  or 
twenty  years  afterward,  when  he  had  shown  himself  to  be 
primus  inter  pares,  and  I  had  been  associated  with  him  for 
ten  years  as  a  presiding  elder — and  more  than  once  spent  the 
live-long  night,  and  in  one  case  two  consecutive  nights,  in  the 
cabinet  work — I  ventured,  in  our  confidential  talk,  to  tell  this 
incident,  without  designating  any  one  but  our  two  selves.  His 
observation  was  like  himself  :  "  Considering  who  your  nominee 
was,  I  do  not  wonder  they  laughed  you  to  scorn." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  F.  Deems,  now  of  New 
York,  who  in  his  early  manhood  became  ac- 
quainted with  Mr.  Janes  at  Dickinson  College,  and 
afterward  knew  him  more  intimately  in  New  York, 
and  then  acted  under  his  supervision  as  General 
Agent  for  the  Bible  Society  for  the  State  of  North 
Carolina,  writes  of  this  period  : 

Three  years  thereafter  occurred  the  famous  General  Con- 
ference of  1844.  I  went  South  with  the  impression  that  of  all 
the  men  I  had  met  during  the  six  years  I  had  spent  North  at 
college  and  in  residence  Edmund  S.  Janes  was  the  fittest  man 
to  be  made  a  Bishop.  I  imparted  my  impressions  to  influen- 
tial Southern  ministers  ;  and  Dr.  Janes's  visits  to  Synods,  Con- 
ferences, and  Conventions  in  the  South,  had  confirmed  the  im- 
pression I  had  labored  to  make.  .  .  .  When  that  stormy 
Conference  came  which  resulted  in  the  disruption  of  the 
Church  the  Southern  men  voted,  I  believe  almost  in  a  body, 
for  Dr.  Janes. 

In  the  summer  of  1842  I  had  occasion  to  come  North,  and 
traveled  with  Dr.  Janes  a  week  or  two,  in  which  we  visited  the 
Maine  Conference.  He  was  not  carried  away  by  the  tide  of 
Abolitionism  then  overflowing  the  Church.  In  arguments 
which  arose  upon  the  subject  he  discreetly  corrected  wrong 


88  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

impressions  which  many  had  received  in  regard  to  the  South. 
This  was  in  my  presence,  and  I  did  not  fail  to  use  it  in  his 
behalf. 

Bishop  Waugh,  in  his  unpublished  journal,  speak- 
ing of  the  course  of  the  Bishops  in  arranging  the 
Plan  of  Episcopal  Visitation  immediately  on  the 
adjournment  of  Conference,  says: 

Bishops  Soule,  Redding,  Morris,  Hamline,  Janes,  and  my- 
self met  to  arrange  the  Plan  of  Episcopal  Visitation  for  the 
ensuing  four  years.  Bishop  Andrew,  although  aware  of  such 
an  arrangement  in  conformity  with  long-established  usage,  had 
left  for  Georgia  without  expressing  his  wish  or  purpose  in  re- 
gard to  the  plan.  When  the  question  arose  in  regard  to  the 
division  of  the  work,  whether  we  should  include  him  in  the 
oversight,  Bishops  Redding,  Morris,  and  myself  thought,  as 
the  General  Conference  had  by  the  answer  to  our  questions  as 
above  stated  *  clearly  intended  to  throw  the  whole  responsi- 
bility of  acting  in  his  official  character  on  Bishop  Andrew 
alone,  and  as  he  was  not  present  to  speak  for  himself,  and  had 
not  signified  his  desire  or  intention  in  relation  thereto,  we 
could  not  see  our  way  clear  to  put  his  name  on  our  plan,  or  to 
apportion  any  part  of  the  work  to  him.  In  this  opinion,  I 
think,  Bishop  Hamline  concurred  ;  but  as  well  as  I  recollect, 
Bishop  Janes  did  not  express  an  opinion,  for  as  he  was  avowed 
by  the  Southern  delegates  to  be  of  their  nomination,  I  was  de- 
sirous that  he  should  not  express  himself  on  any  question 
which  might  involve  him  with  the  South. 

This  last  remark,  while  affording  an  illustration  of 
the  considerateness  of  Bishop  Waugh.  that  prince 
of  Christian  gentlemen,  is  the  more  in  point  as  con- 

*  "  3.  Resolved,  That  whether  in  any,  and  if  any,  in  what  work, 
Bishop  Andrew  be  employed,  is  to  be  determined  by  his  own  decis- 
ion and  action,  in  relation  to  the  previous  action  of  this  Conference  in 
his  case." — Journal  of  the  General  Conference  of  1844,  pp.  118,  I2O. 


THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1844.      89 

firming  the  view  that  the  election  of  Mr.  Janes  was 
largely  attributable  to  the  unanimity  with  which  the 
delegates  from  the  South  supported  him.  Their 
support  was  undoubtedly  due,  in  the  first  place,  to 
the  conviction  they  entertained  of  his  personal  fit- 
ness for  the  office,  and  then  to  the  consideration 
that  they  believed  him  to  be  conservative  on  the 
slavery  question.  Mr.  Janes  simply  shared  mod- 
erate views  in  common  with  most  of  the  leading 
men  of  the  North  and  many  of  the  foremost  men  of 
the  South.  There  is  no  evidence  that  his  convic- 
tions were  not  unequivocally  with  the  Methodist 
Discipline  and  traditions  on  the  subject.  But  he 
was  a  man  of  action  rather  than  of  controversy, 
Then,  as  always,  he  was  no  agitator  in  the  politico- 
ecclesiastical  sense,  but,  accepting  the  condition  of 
things  about  him  where  beyond  his  control,  he 
sought  to  usher  in  universal  righteousness  by  bring- 
ing all  men  to  the  knowledge  of  God  and  his  sal- 
vation. 

With  the  meekness  becoming  his  position  as  jun- 
ior Bishop,  and  so  far  the  junior  in  years  of  his  col- 
leagues in  the  office,  he  began  his  work.  There  were 
some  tears  shed  at  the  home  on  Lispenard-street  on 
the  announcement  of  his  election.  But  the  devout 
wife,  on  whom  the  care  of  the  little  children  was 
more  than  ever  to  devolve,  bravely  accepted  the 
situation.  Henceforth,  for  thirty-two  years,  he  was 
to  be  a  wanderer  over  the  earth,  traveling  longer 


90  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

distances,  enduring  longer  absences  from  home, 
and  performing  more  official  work  than  had  then 
fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  one  of  his  calling  since  the 
apostolic  age.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  con- 
trolling motives  of  the  Southern  men  in  preferring 
him  for  a  Bishop,  certainly,  in  securing  his  election 
ere  they  left  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  they 
bestowed  the  richest  possible  boon  on  the  mother 
Church  in  giving  her  a  man  to  preside  over  her  des- 
tinies who  became  the  historical  link  which  bound 
the  old  rttgime  to  the  new,  transmitted  in  himself 
the  wisdom  of  the  fathers  of  the  Episcopacy  to  their 
sons  in  the  office,  and  so  by  his  long,  laborious,  and 
wise  guidance  conserved  the  staunchest  and  fairest 
ecclesiastical  fabric  of  modern  times.  His  selection 
was  at  once  a  provision  and  a  prophecy.  God's 
bleeding  Church  was  to  have  a  healing  hand  in  the 
present ;  and  in  the  future  this  honored  servant, 
more  than  any  other  one  man,  was  to  be  the  mes- 
senger of  peace  who  was  to  speak  the  first  words 
of  reconciliation  between  its  dissevered  members. 


EARLIER  WORK  AS  BISHOP.  91 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1844-1848. 

Earlier  Work  as  Bishop  —  Division  of  the  Church  —  Home  Letters  — 
Recuperation  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


~^HE  first  Episcopal  work  of  Bishop  Janes  lay  in 
•*-  New  England.  A  fragment  of  a  diary  has  been 
found  recording  his  very  first  work  as  General  Su- 
perintendent. He  began  the  diary,  evidently  with 
the  intention  of  keeping  a  continuous  record  ;  but, 
alas  !  his  wprk  outran  his  words  ;  pen  and  pencil 
could  not  keep  pace  with  his  flight.  As  Dr.  Abel 
Stevens  once  playfully  said,  "  Death  itself  could 
not  catch  up  with  him." 

1844.  July  24.  This  morning  commenced  the  duties  of  a 
presiding  Bishop  by  opening  the  session  of  the  New  England 
Conference.  My  feelings  can  be  better  imagined  than  ex- 
pressed. The  Conference  received  me  with  great  courtesy  and 
marked  affection.  The  morning  session  was  a  pleasant  one. 
In  the  afternoon,  in  meeting  the  council  of  elders,  I  found 
my  duties  even  more  solemn  and  difficult.  The  business  in 
changing  the  pastoral  relations  of  Christian  ministers  is  truly 
serious  and  responsible.  If  an  itinerant  ministry  is  kept  up, 
however,  some  one  must  be  intrusted  with  this  prerogative. 
I  am  so  sensible  of  the  immense  superiority  of  an  itinerant  over 
a  settled  ministry,  that  I  am  willing  to  do  the  very  best  I  can, 
in  the  capacity  of  a  General  Superintendent,  to  save  such  a 
ministry. 


92  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

August  I.  The  New  England  Conference  closed  its  session 
this  evening.  It  has  been  a  very  harmonious  and  pleasant 
Conference.  A  more  than  ordinary  measure  of  divine  influ- 
ence rested  upon  the  preachers  and  was  manifest  in  the  public 
meetings.  God  has  very  graciously  aided  and  sustained  me. 
I  pray  that  his  blessing  may  rest  upon  the  appointments  ! 

August  28.  This  morning  started  for  the  Kentucky  Conference 
and  the  others  in  the  South-western  district.  Parting  with 
my  family,  with  the  expectation  of  being  absent  six  months, 
was  certainly  very  painful.  My  affliction  was  much  increased 
by  the  illness  of  my  wife  and  the  tears  and  sobs  of  my  dear 
children.  A  sacrifice  for  Christ,  therefore  made  cheerfully. 

August  30.  Reached  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  stopped  to  spend 
the  Sabbath,  etc. 

Sept.  i.  Sunday,  preached  twice.  I  trust  some  good  was 
done.  This  is  the  seat  of  the  Ohio  Conference,  which  meets 
here  on  the  4th  inst.  I  shall  wait  until  that  time  that  I  may  see 
Bishops  Waugh  and  Soule,  who  are  expected  here  by  or  before 
that  time. 

"  Bishop  Janes,"  writes  Dr.  Elliott  to  the  "  West- 
ern Christian  Advocate,"  "  was  present  on  the  open- 
ing of  Conference  and  presided  a  few  hours.  He 
filled  the  chair  with  as  much  ease  as  if  he  had  been 
an  old  practitioner.  We  pledge  for  him  that  he 
will  go  through  his  duties  with  great  Methodistic 
accuracy  and  general  satisfaction." 

On  his  way  to  the  Kentucky  Conference  he 
stopped  in  Cincinnati  and  preached  in  Morris  Chap- 
el, which  had  recently  been  opened,  and  was  then 
the  most  beautiful  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in 
the  city.  A  venerable  Christian  lady,  who  is  still  a 
member  of  that  Church,  (now  St.  Paul,)  remembers 


EARLIER  WORK  AS  BISHOP.  93 

the  occasion,  and  was  especially  struck  with  the 
impressive  manner  in  which  he  read  the  hymn,  of 
which  one  of  the  stanzas  is, 

"Thee  will  I  love,  my  joy,  my  crown  ; 

Thee  will  I  love,  my  Lord,  my  God  ; 
Thee  will  I  love,  beneath  thy  frown 

Or  smile,  thy  scepter  or  thy  rod. 
What  though  my  flesh  and  heart  decay  ? 
Thee  shall  I  love  in  endless  day." 

The  Kentucky  Conference  met  at  Bowling  Green, 
Ky.,  Sept.  ii.  The  session  was  an  exciting  one. 
In  the  late  General  Conference  the  delegates  of  this 
Conference  had  voted  as  a  unit  against  the  action  in 
the  case  of  Bishop  Andrew.  The  chairman  of  the 
delegation,  the  eloquent  Dr.  Bascom,  President  of 
Transylvania  University,  had  written  the  protest 
against  this  action,  and  as  this  was  the  first  South- 
ern Conference  sitting  after  the  recent  action,  it  was 
matter  of  great  moment  as  to  the  measures  the 
members  would  adopt.  Bishop  Janes  was  cordially 
received,  and  although  the  questions  acted  upon 
involved  the  sharpest  debates,  and  he  was  obliged, 
at  least  in  one  instance — the  ordination  of  slave- 
holding  local  preachers — to  deny  the  wishes  of  the 
Conference,  yet  his  presidency  was  highly  com- 
mended. A  correspondent  of  the  "  Nashville  Ad- 
vocate "  writes : 

Our  newly  elected  Bishop,  the  Rev.  Edmund  S.  Janes,  who 
presided  at  the  Kentucky  Conference,  gave  general  satisfac- 
tion.    His  expedition  in  the  dispatch  of  business,  his  firmness, 
5 


94  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANKS. 

modesty,  affability,  and  unaffected  piety,  are  very  important 
qualifications  for  the  high  office  to  which  he  has  been  called. 
We  trust  he  will  find  his  visit  to  the  South-west  pleasant  to  him- 
self ;  and  we  pray  that  it  may  be  profitable  to  the  Churches. 

Since  writing  the  above  we  have  received  the  following  reso- 
lution, which  was  adopted  while  the  Bishop  was  absent  from 
the  conference  room : 

Resolved,  By  the  Kentucky  Annual  Conference,  that  it  af- 
fords us  great  pleasure  to  bear  testimony  to  the  ability,  energy, 
and  impartiality  with  which  Bishop  Janes  has  presided  over 
the  deliberations  of  this  body  during  its  present  arduous  and 
protracted  session,  and  that  we  most  cheerfully  commend  him 
to  the  kind  and  approving  regards  of  the  ministry  and  mem- 
bership of  the  Church,  wherever  he  may  appear,  as  one  of  the 
Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

H.  B.  BASCOM. 

E.  STEVENSON. 

If  there  had  been  the  least  misgiving  in  the 
minds  of  his  northern  friends  as  to  the  leanings  of 
Bishop  Janes  in  the  event  of  a  division  of  the 
Church,  they  were  set  at  rest  by  his  course  at  this 
Conference. 

Dr.  J.  S.  Porter,  his  early  and  long-tried  friend, 
writes : 

At  the  time  he  was  elected  by  the  General  Conference  of 
1844,  to  be  i  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  there 
was  some  fear  among  the  delegates  of  northern  Conferences 
that  he  might  be  induced  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  South,  as  the 
southern  delegates  were  the  first  to  mention  his  name  in  con- 
nection with  the  office,  and  regularly  nominated  him.  To 
counteract  any  such  influence  as  might  be  brought  to  bear  up- 
on the  newly  elected  Bishop,  he  was  reminded  that  the  South  had 
not  votes  enough  to  elect  a  Bishop  at  that  Conference,  and  that 


EARLIER  WORK  AS  BISHOP.  95 

we,  of  the  North,  who  had  cast  our  votes  for  him,  did  it  most 
cordially  and  conscientiously  because  we  wished  his  services  in 
that  position.  It  soon  appeared  in  his  administration  of  the 
office  that  there  was  no  ground  to  fear  his  fidelity.  When  he 
presided  at  the  Kentucky  Conference,  and  found  the  brethren 
disposed  to  depart  froifl  their  well-understood  rule,  and  elect 
to  orders  in  the  local  ministry  some  who  were  slave-holders, 
which  they  had  up  to  that  time  declined  to  do,  he  informed 
them  that  he  could  not  put  to  vote  such  a  case,  as  it  would,  in 
his  judgment,  violate  the  Discipline  of  the  Church  ;  all,  both 
North  and  South,  who  were  informed  of  his  action,  became 
fully  satisfied  that  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
United  States  had  a  Superintendent  in  Bishop  Janes  that 
could  not  be  used  to  subvert  the  Discipline,  or  to  ignore  it. 
even  under  a  powerful  pressure.  Though  like  his  divine  Mas- 
ter, he  was  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  he  was  as  firm  as  a  rock 
in  adhering  to  his  convictions. 

The  Kentucky  Conference  at  this  session  ap- 
pointed delegates  to  meet  in  convention  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  May  I,  1845.  The  call  for  this  conven- 
tion had  been  made  by  the  delegates  from  the 
Conferences  in  the  slave-holding  States,  immedi- 
ately at  the  close  of  the  General  Conference  of 
1844.  So  far,  however,  did  a  conservative  feeling 
prevail  in  the  Kentucky  Conference,  that  delegates 
to  the  Convention  were  instructed  "  to  prevent 
separation  at  present." 

I  am  not  able  to  follow  the  Bishop — in  the  absence 
of  any  records  or  letters— throughout  his  South- 
western tour.  He  presided  over  the  Tennessee 
Conference,  which  began  its  session  at  Columbia, 
Maury  County,  Tenn.,  Nov.  2.  There  is  a  refer- 


96  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ence  to  his  preaching  in  the  correspondence  of  the 
"  Nashville  Advocate  : "  "  At  ten  o'clock  A.M. 
Bishop  Janes  filled  the  pulpit.  He  preached  to  a 
crowded  and  highly  interested  audience.  His  ser- 
mon was  plain,  neat,  chaste,  breathing  an  ardent  spirit 
of  piety,  and  attended  with  a  peculiar  unction." 

It  is  probable  that  he  went  as  far  as  Texas, 
presiding  over  all  the  South-western  Conferences, 
accomplishing  a  tour  in  this,  the  first  year  of 
his  Episcopal  service,  remarkable  not  only  for  the 
extent  of  traveling  compassed,  but  for  the  hardships 
of  travel,  caused  by  the  rough  roads  and  swollen 
streams,  and  the  mental  strain  which  the  crisis  in 
the  Church  imposed.  Here  is  a  specimen  of  his 
adventures.  Rev.  E.  Osborn  says : 

Soon  after  he  was  elected  Bishop,  in  1844,  he  was  appointed 
to  attend  some  of  the  South-western  Conferences.  While  on 
this  tour  he  was  solicited  to  make  an  appointment  to  preach 
at  a  place  about  forty  miles,  I  think,  to  one  side  of  his  direct 
route  from  one  Conference  to  another.  He  rode  all  that  dis- 
tance on  horseback,  without  seeing  a  house.  About  3  P.  M. 
he  saw  an  Indian  roasting  some  venison,  and  being  quite 
hungry,  he  took  out  a  silver  piece,  showed  it  to  the  hunter, 
then  pointed  to  the  roasting  meat,  thus  indicating  to  the  man, 
who  understood  no  English,  that  he  wanted  to  buy  a  piece. 
A  slice  was  soon  cut  off,  rolled  in  white  ashes  as  a  substi- 
tute for  salt,  and  the  Bishop  said  that  hunger  made  it  taste 
very  good.  Going  on,  he  at  length  reached  the  old  brother's 
house,  where  he  was  to  stop.  The  log  meeting-house  was 
about  two  miles  distant,  and  several  rode  on  horseback  to 
the  place.  The  windows  were  simply  openings  in  the  sides 
of  the  building,  and  one  of  them  was  directly  behind  him. 


EARLIER  WORK  AS  BISHOP.  97 

The  wind  being  very  strong,  he  fastened  his  cloak  up  behind 
the  pulpit,  as  a  partial  protection.  Soon  after  the  sermon  was 
commenced  a  heavy  gust,  passing  through  the  house,  blew 
out  all  the  lights,  which  were  pine-knots  fastened  to  the  sides 
of  the  building.  He  then  said  to  the  people,  "  The  Gospel  is  a 
light  shining  in  a  dark  place,  and  if  you  will  remain  I  will  go 
on  with  my  sermon."  They  assented  to  this,  he  continued  his 
discourse,  and  he  said  they  had  a  good  time.  But  when  they 
went  out  to  find  and  mount  the  horses  on  which  they  rode, 
such  was  the  darkness  (accompanied  with  rain,  1  think)  that 
they  had  no  small  difficulty  in  getting  on  their  way,  for  the 
Bishop  said  it  seemed  to  him  to  be  the  darkest  place  he  was 
ever  in.  When  they  had  finally  succeeded  in  getting  mounted, 
his  host  told  them  that  his  horse  knew  the  road  and  he  would 
lead  the  way  while  the  others  followed. 

It  was,  I  think,  on  this  same  tour  the  Bishop  had 
occasion  to  cross  the  Cumberland  Mountains.  On 
the  route  he  had  to  leave  the  ordinary  stage-coach 
and  take  a  wagon  without  springs.  At  a  certain 
point  the  wagon  must  cross  a  bridge  over  a  torrent 
which  the  swollen  waters  had  rendered  dangerous, 
and  he  was  warned,  when  he  had  reached  it,  to  get 
out  of  the  wagon  and  walk  across  on  a  foot- 
bridge. He  accordingly  said  to  the  driver  as  he 
got  into  the  wagon — it  was  about  nightfall — to  let 
him  know  when  they  got  to  the  stream  :  if  he  was 
asleep  to  wake  him  up,  not  to  fail.  Away  went  the 
wagon,  on  and  on,  over  one  of  the  roughest  mount- 
ain passes  in  the  land.  The  Bishop,  exhausted  by 
his  travels  and  loss  of  rest,  soon  fell  asleep.  He 
knew  nothing  more  until  the  driver  reined  up  at 
his  destination  and  hallooed  to  him  to  get  out. 


98  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

His  episcopal  dignity  was  down  among  the  straw 
on  the  floor  of  the  wagon,  the  treacherous  bridge 
had  been  crossed,  the  journey  ended,  while  he  had 
been  oblivious  to  all  toils  and  dangers. 

In  March  of  the  following  spring  (1845)  ne  was 
present  at  the  session  of  the  Baltimore  Conference, 
which  was  held  in  the  Caroline-street  Church,  Bal- 
timore. Dr.  Sargent,  alluding  to  his  presence, 
says :  "  He  came  to  Baltimore  from  his  first 
episcopal  tour,  in  1845,  (March,)  and  in  Bishop 
Soule's  room  he  recpunted  to  us  some  of  his 
painful  and  pleasant  experiences,  especially  in 
Mississippi." 

The  event  of  the  spring  of  1845  was  the  holding 
of  a  convention  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  composed  of 
delegates  (one  to  eleven)  from  the  ministers  of  the 
Conferences  lying  wholly  in  slave-holding  States. 
Bishops  Soule  and  Andrew  attended  upon  the  con- 
vention. All  the  Bishops  were  invited  to  preside 
over  its  deliberations,  but  they  alone  accepted  the 
invitation.  And  when  this  body  formally  organized 
the  Conferences  which  it  represented  into  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  they  gave  in 
their  adhesion,  and  became  officially  identified  with 
it.  The  course  of  the  convention  and  of  these 
Bishops  was  regarded  by  the  Bishops  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  as  a  withdrawal  from  the 
body.  They  accordingly,  at  a  meeting  held  in  New 
York,  July  3,  1 8^5,  after  rehearsing  substantially 


EARLIER  WORK  AS  BISHOP.  99 

the  action  of  the  convention,  passed  the  following 
resolution  :* 

Resolved,  That  acting  as  we  do,  under  the  authority  of  the 
General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
amenable  to  said  General  Conference,  we  should  not  consider 
ourselves  justified  in  presiding  in  said  Conferences,  conformably 
to  the  plan  of  visitation  agreed  upon  at  the  close  of  the  late  Gen- 
eral Conference,  and  published  in  the  journals  of  the  Church. 

This  resolution  recognized  "  separation  "  as  an 
accomplished  fact.  Whether  the  Bishops  changed 
their  plan  of  visitation,  in  declining  to  preside 
over  the  Southern  Conferences,  out  of  respect  to 
the  legality  of  the  so-called  Plan  of  Separation, 
or  as  a  measure  tending  to  peace,  does  not  appear. 
They  may  have  had  both  considerations  in  mind. 
In  the  interim  of  the  General  Conference  they  could 
not  have  done  otherwise.  If,  as  some  at  the  North 
maintained,  they  ought  to  have  gone  forward  and 
held,  or  attempted  to  hold,  the  Southern  Con- 
ferences all  the  same,  and  thus  if  rejected  by  all  ex- 
cept the  barest  minorities  of  the  ministers,  kept 
up  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  even  in  the  very  heart  of  the  South,  such 
persons  ought  to  remember  that  the  report  of  the 
Committee  on  Pacification,  while  it  may  not  have 
been  meant  as  an  encouragement  to  division,  cer- 
tainly held  out  the  possibility  of  it  under  given 
conditions,  of  which  conditions  the  Southern  min- 

*  The  "  Great  Secession,"  by  Charles  Elliott,  D.D.,  pp.  492,  493. 


ioo  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

isters  were  to  be  the  sole  judges.  And  the  proba- 
bility is,  that  but  for  the  bitter  strifes  engendered 
and  aggravated  by  the  "Border  War"  along  the 
line  where  the  division  was  most  keenly  felt,  and 
also  the  growing  bitterness  of  the  slavery  contro- 
versy in  both  sections  of  the  country,  the  plan 
would  have  been  quietly  accepted,  and  the  vested 
properties  of  the  Church  amicably  distributed. 
Then,  let  those  who  may  now  say  what  the  Bishops 
ought  to  have  done  remember  that  in  the  state  of 
the  country  at  the  time,  with  the  ministers  and 
people — all  citizens  in  common — solidly  with  the 
action  of  the  Louisville  Convention,  it  would  have 
been  physically  impossible  for  them  to  have  done 
otherwise  than  to  pursue  a  policy  of  abstention. 
Mob  law  would  have  summarily  visited  them,  civil 
war  would  have  been  precipitated,  and  the  war,  in- 
stead of  freeing  the  slaves,  would  have  tightened 
their  chains.  The  antislavery  sentiment  of  the 
country  was  not  yet  strong  enough  for  a  successful 
conflict  with  the  slave  power.  God's  time,  which 
events  were  hastening  on,  was  not  come.  The 
Bishops,  controlled  by  the  highest  wisdom  of  the 
hour,  could  go  no  faster  than  that  wisdom  allowed. 
Bishops  Morris  and  Janes,  who  had  been  assigned 
to  some  of  the  Southern  Conferences,  in  harmony 
with  the  resolution  of  the  Bishops,  withdrew  their 
appointments.  Bishop  Soule  wrote  to  Bishop  Mor- 
ris, requesting  him  to  take  charge  of  the  Illinois, 


VISIT  TO  MARYLAND.  101 

Iowa,  and  Rock  River  Conferences,  to  which  he 
had  been  assigned,  and  proposing  to  take  Bishop 
Morris's  Southern  Conferences,  and  to  this  Bishop 
Morris  acceded. 

I  see  no  more  at  present  of  Bishop  Janes's  official 
action.  It  fell  to  his  lot,  likely,  to  hold  the  Maine 
Conference,  which  met  this  year  (July  15,  1845)  at 
Portland,  Me.,  and  from  that  point  he  wrote  to  his 
little  daughter  Elizabeth  : 

I  am  pretty  well.  I  hope  our  heavenly  Father  and  his  good 
angels  have  taken  care  of  you  and  your  sister.  I  hope  also 
that  you  have  been  such  good  girls  that  your  heavenly  Father 
will  love  you  and  the  blessed  angels  will  love  to  stay  with  you. 
I  have  received  uncle's  letter,  which  was  written  last  Thursday. 
I  am  much  pleased  that  my  little  girls  behave  themselves  so 
nicely.  I  shall  love  them  very  much  for  their  good  behavior. 
I  expect  to  be  home  the  last  of  this  week — perhaps  on  Satur- 
day. I  hope  I  shall  find  you  well  and  happy.  Can  you  give 
sister  a  kiss  for  papa,  and  tell  her  papa  sends  his  love  to  her  ? 
Don't  forget  to  say  your  prayers. 

In  the  winter  of  1845-46  Bishop  Janes  made  a 
visit  to  the  Eastern  shore  of  Maryland.  It  was  a 
visit  of  much  social  pleasure,  but  also  of  incessant 
travel  and  preaching.  He  fain  would  have  rested 
in  the  intervals  of  the  autumn  and  spring  Confer- 
ences in  the  quiet  of  his  own  home,  and  amid  the 
scenes  and  duties  adjacent  to  it,  but  no;  he  must 
heed  the  calls  from  afar.  For  the  present  we  get 
glimpses  of  the  paternal  heart,  as  from  this  and  oth- 
er distant  points  it  turns  to  the  wife  and  children 
5* 


io2  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

at  home.  His  correspondence  with  his  family  was 
prompt  and  constant.  He  thus  sought  in  some  de- 
gree to  compensate  both  them  and  himself  for  the 
privations  suffered  by  his  frequent  and  long  ab- 
sences. His  son  Lewis,  the  first-born,  was  now  nine 
years  of  age. 

To  Lewis  T.  Janes,  from  Easton,  Md.,  Dec.  27 : 

I  arrived  here  last  evening.  I  go  this  afternoon  to  the  Royal 
Oak,  the  place  where  I  am  to  dedicate  the  church  to-morrow. 
I  this  morning  met  here  the  Rev.  James  Nichols,  an  old  friend 
of  mine. 

I  hope  you  are  all  well  and  have  had  a  happy  Christmas.  I 
wish  very  much  that  I  could  be  with  you  on  New- Years'  day 
to  help  to  make  you  all  happy.  But  I  think  it  was  my  duty  to 
take  this  tour  of  official  services,  and  so  I  am  reconciled  to  my 
absence  from  you  on  the  holidays,  and,  indeed,  on  most  other 
days  too.  When  we  feel  that  we  are  doing  right  we  can  be 
happy  under  any  privations.  The  way  of  duty  is  the  only  path 
of  safety  and  delight.  We  cannot  be  happy  while  we  are  doing 
any  thing  that  is  wrong,  or  neglecting  to  do  any  thing  that  it 
is  right  for  us  to  do. 

I  hope  you  are  a  good  boy  and  are  trying  in  every  way  you 
can  to  make  your  mother  and  dear  sisters  happy.  I  was  great- 
ly delighted  before  I  left  to  find  you  could  read  so  well  and 
that  you  loved  so  much  to  read.  I  hope  you  still  love  to  read. 
I  will  buy  you  all  the  good  books  with  good  print  that  you  need, 
if  you  will  only  read  them.  I  now  begin  to  hope  that  your 
heavenly  Father  will  give  you  sight  enough  to  enable  you  to 
be  a  minister.  O,  how  glad  I  shall  be  if  my  dear  Lewis  is  ever 
good  enough  and  wise  enough  to  become  a  minister !  I  have 
prayed  for  it  a  great  deal.  I  hope  you  will  pray  for  it.  You 
must  become  very  religious  before  you  can  be  a  minister. 
You  must  do  nothing  that  is  wicked  and  do  ever)'  thing  that 
the  Bible  points  out  to  us  as  our  duty  .  .  . 


EARLIER  WORK  AS  BISHOP.  103 

To  Lewis  T.  Janes,  from  Snow  Hill,  Md.,  Jan.  17  : 

In  her  last  letter  your  mother  states  that  you  are  improving 
in  your  reading  and  in  your  deportment.  I  am  so  much  pleased 
to  hear  this  that  I  determined  to  sit  right  down  and  write  you 
a  letter,  and  tell  you  how  happy  it  makes  me  to  hear  that  you 
are  becoming  a  better  boy.  It  is  not  your  turn  to  receive  a 
letter,  and  it  is  late,  and  I  am  tired,  but  I  determined  to  write 
to  you  before  I  go  to  sleep.  I  am  very  much  pleased  indeed. 
It  makes  me  very  happy  to  learn  that  you  are  trying  to  be  good 
I  hope  you  will  keep  trying.  You  will  not  only  make  your 
father  and  mother  happy,  but  you  will  also  be  much  happier 
yourself.  Naughty  persons  are  never  happy.  It  is  only  good 
persons  that  are  happy.  .  .  .  Now,  my  dear,  be  a  good  boy, 
fear  God,  obey  and  love  your  mother,  be  kind  to  your  sisters, 
say  your  prayers,  read  your  Bible,  and  may  your  heavenly 
Father  bless  you  in  all  things  ! 

The  Bishop  met  the  Troy  Conference,  at  Keese- 
ville,  N.  Y.,  on  May  27,  1846.  From  Albany,  on  his 
way,  he  wrote  to  Lewis : 

I  had  quite  a  pleasant  sail  up  the  Hudson  river  on  Saturday, 
though  we  had  some  hard  showers.  .  .  I  expect  to  leave  now 
in  a  little  while  for  Troy,  and  go  on  to-night  in  a  packet-boat  to 
White  Hall,  where  I  expect  to  take  a  steamboat  across  Lake 
Champlain  to  Keeseville. 

I  did  not  preach  yesterday,  but  I  addressed  the  Sabbath- 
school  in  the  afternoon.  The  school  was  in  the  church,  and 
there  was  quite  a  large  congregation,  so  it  was  much  the  same 
as  preaching.  They  have  a  good  school  in  Garrettson  Station 
in  this  city.  .  .  . 

Do  you  try  to  make  mamma  and  sisters  happy  ?  Do  you  say 
your  prayers  and  try  to  love  your  heavenly  Father  and  your 
dear  Saviour?  Are  you  trying  to  get  a  new  heart,  so  that  you 
can  go  to  heaven  ?  Think  of  all  these  things.  .  .  . 


104  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

To  his  daughter  Charlotte  he  writes,  from  Keese- 
ville,  May  28 : 

Our  Conference  opened  yesterday  and  has  progressed  pleas- 
antly. I  have  not  had  time  to  survey  the  town  yet.  I  think, 
however,  there  is  not  much  beauty  about  it,  though  it  is  a  pros- 
perous business  village.  It  is  about  four  miles  west  of  Lake 
Champlain.  My  sail  across  the  lake  on  Tuesday  was  a  very 
pleasant  one.  It  was  a  beautiful  day  ;  we  had  a  beautiful  boat 
and  good  company  and  splendid  scenery,  which,  in  combination, 
made  a  very  pleasant  sail  of  it.  The  night  before  on  the 
packet-boat  I  had  a  miserable  time. 

I  am  putting  up  with  the  minister  stationed  here.  He 
has  two  daughters  and  one  son.  The  youngest  daughter  is 
waiting  to  take  your  letter  to  the  post-office.  Committees  are 
coming  in  upon  me  and  I  can  write  no  more.  Be  a  good  girl 
and  make  all  happy  around  you.  Kiss  mamma,  and  tell  her 
papa  sends  his  best  love  to  her.  Kiss  brother  and  sister  and 
tell  them  father  sends  much  love  to  them.  In  a  very  pleasant 
manner  tell  Miss  Rohn  and  Rebecca  papa  sends  his  kindest 
remembrance  to  them. 

From  Lowville,  N.  Y.,  the  seat  of  the  Black 
River  Conference,  to  Lewis,  June  18: 

I  write  now  to  show  you  that  I  think  of  you,  and  also  be- 
cause I  think  it  will  give  you  pleasure  to  receive  a  line  from 
your  father.  I  love  to  make  you  happy.  And  when  Lewis  is 
good  and  pleasant  he  is  happy.  He  is  a  very  cheerful,  pleasant 
boy  generally.  He  is  also  generally  very  kind  and  very  gener- 
ous. .  .  .  Now  I  have  told  you  what  I  think  is  right  and  good 
in  your  character.  .  .  .  Well,  now,  Lewis  has  improved  very 
much  in  some  things  within  a  few  months,  will  he  not  try  to 
improve  more  ?  To  be  more  manly  ?  To  try  to  make  his  lit- 
tle sisters  and  all  others  happy  ?  Come,  now,  what  does  Lewis 
say?  I  think  he  says,  Yes.  I  think  he  will  try.  Well,  we 


LETTERS  TO  HIS  CHILDREN.  105 

will  try  to  help  you  and  encourage  you.  We  will  tell  you 
when  we  think  you  are  improving.  You  can  be  very  good  and 
pleasant  if  you  will.  You  know  how  if  you  will  only  try. 

I  want  Lewis  to  become  so  gentle  and  pleasant  in  his  man- 
ners and  so  trustworthy  in  his  character  that  I  can  take  him 
with  me  anywhere.  And  so  I  can  always  feel  when  I  go 
away  from  home  that  his  mother  has  a  little  man  to  wait  on 
her,  to  keep  her  company,  and  make  her  happy.  .  .  . 

In  the  early  autumn  of  this  year  he  held  the 
Genesee  Conference,  at  Lyons,  N.  Y.  Thence  he 
writes,  September  9,  to  his  youngest  daughter, 
Elizabeth : 

Well,  pet,  how  do  you  do  this  morning  ?  I  am  pretty  well, 
and  hope  you  are  also.  How  is  mamma  ?  Have  you  kissed 
her  this  morning?  How  are  brother  and  sister?  Have  you 
kissed  them  this  morning  ?  I  wonder  if  my  little  children  are 
all  affectionate  and  gentle  and  happy  this  morning.  I  should 
love  to  see  them  very  much  and  have  a  sweet  kiss  from  each  of 
them.  Well,  I  expert  I  shall  have  some  sweet  kisses  from 
them  when  I  get  home.  They  may  give  all  their  sweet 
kisses  to  mamma  until  I  get  home,  and  then  they  will  give  me  a 
few  of  them. 

Have  you  prayed  this  morning?  Did  you  pray  with  your 
heart  ?  Remember  we  must  pray  with  our  hearts  to  obtain 
the  blessing  of  our  heavenly  Father.  You  need  his  blessing. 
No  one  else  can  forgive  your  sins.  No  one  else  can  give  you 
a  new  heart.  No  one  else  can  make  you  happy.  No  one  else 
can  take  you  to  heaven.  So  you  must  pray  to  him  with  your 
heart.  .  .  .  We  had  a  missionary  meeting  last  night.  I  made 
a  speech,  and  Dr.  Bond  also.  It  was  a  good  meeting,  only 
the  people  did  not  give  money  very  freely.  I  hope  the  time 
will  soon  come  when  people  will  understand  and  do  their  duty 
to  their  poor  heathen  brethren.  How  does  your  missionary 
box  come  on  ?  I  must  now  bid  you  adieu.  Now  see  how 


io6  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

prettily  you  can  tell  mamma,  brother,  and  sister  that  papa  sends 
love  to  them.  .  .  . 

The  Bishop's  face  was  now  set  to  the  North-west. 
Incidentally  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Janes  to  Lewis,  Sept. 
25,  mentions  him  as  in  the  State  of  Michigan : 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  me  to  write  to  you.  We  are  all  well  and 
comfortable.  The  little  girls  are  more  quiet  in  their  plays  now 
than  when  their  brother  was  with  them.  There  is  no  more 
playing  horse,  and  no  more  stages,  etc.  Charlotte  tries  to 
take  your  place  all  she  can.  She  goes  of  errands,  and  goes 
to  the  post-office.  You  would  be  amused  to  see  her  with  the 
little  hatchet  splitting  wood,  and  yesterday  she  took  the  saw. 
She  is  a  dear  little  girl.  She  sends  a  great  deal  of  love,  and  so 
does  Lizzie. 

I  received  a  letter  from  your  dear  papa  yesterday.  He  was 
well.  He  was  at  Detroit.  He  has  now  gone  to  Marshall, 
Michigan,  where  the  Conference  opened  on  Wednesday.  .  .  . 
It  is  evening.  Little  Lizzie  has  just  gone  to  sleep.  She  prays 
for  her  brother.  Charlotte  is  sitting  by  the  stand  knitting. 
.  .  .  Don't  forget  your  little  hymns  :  "  In  the  green  fields  of 
Paradise,"  "A  poor  way-faring  man  of  grief,"  "  Sparkling 
and  bright,"  "The  day  is  past  and  gone,"  "Come,  thou 
Fount." 

The  years  1846-47  passed  with  Bishop  Janes  in 
the  usual  routine  of  episcopal  work.  It  was  a 
period  of  great  danger  to  the  peace  of  the  Church 
and  to  the  efficient  working  of  all  its  methods  and 
institutions.  Never  did  its  chief  pastors  need  more 
to  be  men  of  piety  and  equanimity.  In  addition 
to  the  vast  numbers  which  had  gone  off  bodily  into 
the  Southern  Methodist  organization,  the  irrita- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  CHURCH.  107 

tions  incident  to  such  a  rupture,  and  a  very  general 
reaction  from  the  excitement  caused  by  the  Second 
Adventism  of  the  times,  had  induced  a  general  de- 
cline of  religious  revivals  and  of  accessions  to  the 
Church.  A  process  of  sifting  and  settling  was  go- 
ing on. 

The  minds  of  the  thoughtful  were  now  turn- 
ing upon  the  internal  life  of  the  Church — the  con- 
servation of  its  morals,  experience,  and  various 
benevolent  organizations.  The  last  General  Con- 
ference had  restored  Mr.  Wesley's  original  rule  on 
temperance,  thus  placing  Methodism  in  the  ad- 
vance on  the  great  total  abstinence  reform,  which 
has  since  been  steadily  gaining  in  influence.  The 
cause  of  higher  education  elicited  general  discus- 
sion and  more  liberal  support.  The  Sunday-School 
Union,  with  its  first  distinct  editor,  the  Rev.  D.  P. 
Kidder,  was  creating  a  literature  for  the  youth  of 
the  families ;  the  missionary  cause  was  receiving 
new  impulses,  at  home  in  the  consolidation  and 
growth  of  the  work  among  the  Germans,  through 
the  agency  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  Nast  and  his 
co-laborers ;  in  the  first  beginnings  of  the  move- 
ment among  the  Scandinavians,  through  the  pious 
zeal  of  Pastor  O.  G.  Hedstrom  ;  and  abroad,  by  the 
establishment  of  the  first  mission  among  the  hea- 
then at  Foochow,  China. 

In  all  these  causes  Bishop  Janes  was  active.    He 
was  the  "  perpetual  curate  "  of  the  General  Confer- 


io8  '          LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ence  Societies  which  centered  in  New  York.  In 
addition  to  these,  New  York  city  Methodism  was 
productive  of  various  local  movements.  The  elect 
women  of  the  Church,  under  the  leadership  of  Mrs. 
Mary  W.  Mason,  had  dared  to  open  a  mission  Sun- 
day-school in  the  heart  of  the  infamous  Five  Points. 
Out  of  this  grew  the  Ladies'  Home  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, which  subsequently  purchased  the  Old  Brewery, 
and  on  its  site  erected  the  first  Five  Points  Mission 
building.  Through  the  work  of  this  mission,  and 
that  of  others  since  introduced,  a  physical  and  moral 
renovation  has  come  over  one  of  the  deepest  sinks 
of  iniquity  ever  known  in  Christendom.  The  ladies 
had  also  organized  a  home  for  the  aged  and  desti- 
tute women  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
the  city,  and  put  it  into  successful  operation. 
While  these  general  enterprises  were  going  forward 
local  chapels  and  churches  were  springing  into 
being  in  New  York  and  in  the  rapidly  multiply- 
ing neighborhoods  about  it.  To  these  Bishop 
Janes  gave  his  time,  sympathies,  counsels,  and 
means.  All  workers  and  works  must  have  his  ear, 
his  advice,  his  cheer,  and  his  services.  Nor  did  he 
ever  turn  any  away.  How  much  his  devout  and  in- 
telligent supervision  had  to  do  with  this  critical 
and  transitional  period  in  securing  wise  and  stable 
results  eternity  alone  will  reveal. 

I  drop  here  one  of  his  customary  epistles  to  the 
children  before  I  hasten  to   the  close  of  the  first 


LETTERS  TO  HIS  CHILDREN.  109 

four  years  of  the  Bishop's  general  superintendency. 
The  children  were  attending  school  at  Basking 
Ridge,  N.  J. 

Your  father  and  mother  wish  you  good-morning.     We  are 
very  well.     We  hope  our  heavenly  Father  still  blesses  you  all 
with  good  health  and  much  happiness.   We  hope,  too,  that  you  ' 
are  all  good  children.     That  you  study  when  your  teacher  di- 
rects you  to,  and  that  when  you  play  you  do  it  very  pleasantly. 

We  shall  send  with  this  most  of  the  things  Charlotte  asked 
for.  I  have  walked  a  great  way  to  find  the  toy  Elizabeth 
asked  for,  but  I  cannot  find  one.  She  will  have  to  wait  awhile 
for  it  until  her  papa  can  find  one  for  her.  We  send  her  a  nice 
book,  however,  which  we  think  will  please  her  much.  Lewis,  I 
believe,  did  not  ask  for  any  thing,  but  we  send  him  a  book  also, 
which  we  hope  he  will  find  pleasure  in  reading.  Besides  the 
two  new  books,  we  have  selected  some  others  which  we 
thought  would  please  you.  Your  names  are  in  them.  .  .  . 

Now,  my  dear  children,  do  not  forget  to  say  your  prayers. 
Always  mind  your  teacher.  Be  kind  to  your  school-mates. 
Love  each  other.  . 


no  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

1848-1850. 

General  Conference  at  Pittsburgh — Annual  Conferences — Work  in 
the  West. 

THE  tenth  delegated  General  Conference  met 
in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  May  I,  1848. 
The  action  of  the  previous  General  Conference  and 
the  events  which  had  followed — particularly  the  so- 
called  Plan  of  Separation  and  the  formation  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South — had  given  rise 
to  intense  feeling  in  the  Northern  and  Border  Con- 
ferences. In  some  Conferences,  as,  for  example,  in 
the  New  York,  an  issue  was  squarely  raised,  and 
such  Nestors  of  the  Conference  as  Drs.  Bangs  and 
Olin  were  left  at  home,  and  younger  men,  known  to 
be  opposed  to  the  "  Plan,"  were  elected  delegates. 
It  was  very  evident,  as  the  members  came  together, 
that  they  were  in  no  humor  for  adhering  to  its 
provisions.  A  general  conviction  prevailed,  that 
even  if  the  General  Conference  had  a  right  to  pro- 
vide for  the  division  of  the  Church  and  its  property, 
the  terms  of  the  provision  had  been  violated  by  the 
Southern  ministers. 

The  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
had    met    in    Philadelphia,  March  3,    1847,   Bishop 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AT  PITTSBURGH.    111 

Hedding,  chairman,  and  Bishop  Janes,  secretary,  and 
declared  their  understanding  of  the  line  of  division 
between  the  two  Churches,  and  their  faithful  ad- 
herence to  it.*  They  also  stated,  in  a  report  to  this 
General  Conference,  that  in  numerous  instances  the 
authorities  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  had  infracted  the  "  line."  This  report,  with 
various  other  matters  relating  to  the  questions  in 
controversy — such,  for  example,  as  a  refusal  of  the 
Annual  Conferences  to  concur  with  that  part  of  the 
plan  submitted  to  them — was  referred  to  a  Com- 
mittee on  the  State  of  the  Church,  composed  of  two 
members  from  each  Conference,  of  which  the  Rev. 
George  Peck,  D.D.,  was  chairman. 

This  Committee  reported  to  the  Conference  from 
time  to  time  successive  "  declarations,"  which  were 
adopted  by  the  Conference  almost  unanimously. 
The  fourth  declaration  comprised  eight  sections. 
The  seventh  and  eighth  sections  of  this  "  declara- 
tion "  were  as  follows :  "  Therefore,  in  view  of  these 
facts,  as  well  as  the  principles  contained  in  the  pre- 
ceding declarations,  there  exists  no  obligation  to  ob- 
serve the  provisions  of  said  plan.  And  it  is  hereby 
declared  null  and  void"  ^  Yeas,  133;  nays,  9. 

The  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South,  which  met  at  Petersburg!!,  Va,, 
May  i,  1846,  acting  by  the  authorization  of  the 

*  "  History  of  the  Great  Secession."     By  C.  Elliott,  pp.  578,  579. 
f  Ibid.,  pp.  646,  647. 


ii2  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Louisville  Convention,  organized  under  the  presi- 
dency of  Bishop  Andrew,  accepted  the  adhesion  of 
Bishop  Soule,  and  elected  two  additional  Bishops, 
Drs.  William  Capers  and  Robert  Paine.  The  Con- 
ference went  through  with  all  the  routine  business 
of  a  General  Conference,  leaving  the  Discipline 
substantially  as  it  was,  not  even  changing  the  article 
on  slavery,  except  to  add  an  explanatory  foot-note. 
It  appointed  commissioners  to  carry  out  the  details 
of  settlement  under  the  Plan  of  Separation.  It  also 
appointed  the  Rev.  Lovick  Pierce,  D.D.,  as  a  fra- 
ternal delegate  to  the  General  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Dr.  Pierce  very  promptly  appeared  at  Pittsburgh, 
and  gave  notice  of  his  presence  and  his  desire  to 
know  the  wishes  of  the  Conference.  The  reply  was, 
that  while  the  members  were  glad  to  welcome  him 
as  an  individual  they  could  not  receive  him  as  a 
fraternal  delegate,  for  if  they  did  they  would  thereby 
be  understood  to  approve  the  course  of  the  Church 
South  in  what  it  had  done.  Dr.  Pierce  was  invited 
to  a  seat  in  the  bar  of  the  Conference,  but  he  de- 
clined all  recognition  except  in  his  official  capacity. 
He  soon  after  left  the  city. 

It  must  have  been  a  great  personal  trial  to 
Bishop  Janes  to  be  thus  placed  with  relation  to  his 
tried  and  honored  friend,  Dr.  Pierce ;  but  there  is  no 
evidence  whatever  that  he  did  not  fully  agree  with 
the  action  of  the  General  Conference.  No  man  ever 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AT  PITTSBURGH.    113 

allowed  personal  feelings  to  affect  less  his  official 
obligations  than  did  Bishop  Janes. 

The  General  Conference,  while  declaring  the 
"  Plan  "  null  and  void,  authorized  the  Book  Agents 
at  New  York  and  Cincinnati  to  offer  to  submit  the 
property  claims  between  the  two  Churches  to  arbi- 
tration, if  they  could  legally  do  so ;  and,  if  it  were 
further  necessary,  the  Annual  Conferences  should 
be  asked  to  suspend  the  sixth  restrictive  rule,  allow- 
ing the  Book  Agents  to  submit  the  claims  to  arbi- 
tration.* It  is  matter  of  history  that  this  proposi- 
tion was  rejected  by  the  commissioners  of  the 
Southern  Church,  and  suits  were  instituted  in  the 
United  States  Courts,  which  were  finally  decided  in 
favor  of  the  Church  South,  to  which  was  transferred 
the  debts  due  from  persons  residing  within  the 
limits  of  its  Conferences  ;  and,  in  addition,  $270,000 
were  paid  to  it,  with  the  costs  of  the  suits. 

In  an  article  entitled  "  Characteristic  Sketches," 
which  appeared  in  "  Zion's  Herald,"  of  Boston, 
written  by  the  editor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stevens,  is  the 
following  pen-portraiture  of  our  subject  : 

There  is  certainly  but  one  sense  in  which  Bishop  Jan«s  can 
be  said  to  be  the  least  of  the  Bishops ;  he  has  a  diminutive 
body,  but  as  large  a  soul  as  ever  filled  the  lordly  bulk  of  an 
archbishop.  Like  St.  Paul,  his  bodily  presence  is  not  very  im- 
posing, and  doubtless  many  a  good  Methodist,  familiar  with 
his  name  but  not  his  person,  would  be  egregiously  disappointed 
to  find  so  great  an  officer  in  so  small  a  body.  ...  If  he  hap- 

*  "  Great  Secession,"  p.  654. 


ii4  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

pens  to  see,  or  rather  hear,  the  Bishop  in  the  pulpit  or  on  the 
anniversary  platform,  he  will  soon  dismiss  all  concern  for  his 
personal  importance.  He  is  really  one  of  the  "smartest" 
speakers  in  the  land.  He  may  yet  grow  into  another  Coke. 
He  resembles  our  first  Bishop  very  much  in  the  smallness  of 
his  stature  and  the  defects  of  his  voice  ;  a  little  more  rotundity 
will  almost  complete  the  similarity,  and  this  old-fashioned  epis- 
copal attribute  he  seems  to  be  fairly  acquiring.  The  counte- 
nance of  Bishop  Janes  is  habitually  serious.  .  .  .  His  mind  is 
rapid,  clear,  and  highly  illustrative  ;  I  know  not  that  it  can  be 
called  comprehensive  or  profound,  but  it  is  severely  accurate, 
luminous,  fertile,  practical,  and  indomitable — and  that's  great- 
ness enough  surely  for  an  eagle  thus  encaged. 

In  the  July  following  the  adjournment  of  the 
General  Conference  Bishop  Janes  met  the  Black 
River  Conference  at  Adams,  N.  Y.,  on  the  5th,  and 
the  Oneida  Conference  at  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  on  the 
26th.  Of  the  session  of  the  former  the  correspond- 
ent of  the  "  New  York  Christian  Advocate  and 
Journal"  says : 

Various  propitious  circumstances  seem  to  have  conspired  to 
render  the  present  an  interesting  session  of  our  body.  We 
have  the  mild,  affable,  courteous,  and  yet  thorough  and  ener- 
getic, Bishop  Janes  with  us  as  our  president.  The  preachers 
seem  well  satisfied  with  and  encouraged  by  the  action  of  the 
late  General  Conference,  and,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
learn,  report  general,  if  not  universal,  satisfaction  among  our 
people. 

At  the  Oneida  Conference,  July  26,  1848,  the 
verdict  was  that  the  Bishop  discharged  all  the  du- 
ties of  his  office  "  not  only  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  the  Conference,  but  to  the  admiration  of  all." 


ONEIDA  CONFERENCE.  115 

The  correspondent  of  the  "  Northern  Christian  Ad- 
vocate "  writes : 

Our  sweet-spirited  little  Janes  presides  over  us  with  all 
proper  dignity,  and  yet  with  great  courtesy.  He  is  never  lost 
in  the  mazes  of  business,  but  in  few  words  will  soon  make  the 
most  obtuse  among  us  see  where  we  are,  in  the  midst  of  mo- 
tions, amendments,  and  substitutes.  .  .  . 

I  wish  I  could  present  you  with  a  correct  and  full  report  of 
the  admirable  address  of  Bishop  Janes  to  the  young  men  who 
are  candidates  for  admission  into  the  Conference.  .  .  .  The 
Bishop  remarked  substantially  : 

"  We  have  reached  a  solemn  point  in  the  doings  of  the  Con- 
ference. No  more  important  event  in  your  lives  has  ever  been 
reached  than  this.  Entrance  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry,  to 
one  truly  called  of  God  to  that  high  vocation,  stands  as  really 
connected  with  his  final  salvation  as  does  his  conversion  to 
God.  With  such  a  call  you  cannot  trifle  with  impunity.  Again, 
if  called  of  God  to  this  work,  he  will  not  trifle  with  you.  The 
pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  will  point  out  your  way,  and  you  must, 
you  will,  be  successful  in  winning  souls  to  Christ." 

The  questions,  "  Have  you  faith  in  God  ?  Are  you  going  on 
to  perfection  ?  Are  you  groaning  after  it  ?  "  having  been  pro- 
posed and  answered,  the  Bishop  remarked,  "  I  hope  that  none 
of  you  will  ever  teach  after  this  that  justification  and  sanctifi- 
cation  are  one  and  the  same  thing.  You  say  that  you  have 
faith,  justifying  faith  in  God.  With  this  as  a  starting-point, 
you  are  going  on  to  perfection,  groaning  after  it,  and  expecting 
to  be  made  perfect  in  love  in  this  life.  The  two  states  are, 
then,  distinct ;  do  not  confound  them  ;  and  do  not  teach  that 
there  is  no  middle  ground  between  them.  You  are  going  on 
to  perfection.  Both  are  attainable,  and  both  to  be  secured  by 
faith."  The  Bishop  thought  that  could  the  framers  of  these 
searching  questions  have  known  the  peculiarities  of  the  present 
times  there  would  have  been  given  to  the  eleventh  rule  for 
preachers  equal  prominence  with  the  first,  tenth,  and  twelfth. 


1 16  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

That  rule  requires  that  we  will  be  ready,  not  only  to  go  where 
we  are  wanted,  but  where  we  are  wanted  most,  that  is,  needed 
most.  Jesus  would  have  acted  on  this  principle,  and  are  not 
we  the  ministers  of  Jesus  ?  The  apostles  always  acted  on  it, 
and  are  not  we  successors  of  the  apostles  ?  The  large  vil- 
lages and  cities  of  our  country  want  pastors.  It  is  well  they 
should  not  be  neglected.  But  there  are  localities  remote  from 
cities  where  there  are  immortal  souls  to  be  sought  out  and 
saved.  Some  of  these  are  poor  and  afflicted,  and  cannot  come 
to  your  central  points.  Others  are  wicked,  and  will  not  come. 
How  shall  their  case  be  met  ?  You  must  go  to  them.  While 
the  residents  of  your  large  villages  want  you,  do  not  those  in 
the  adjacent  and  intermediate  points  need  you  more  ?  Visit 
them  at  their  houses  on  week-days,  and  preach  in  their  school- 
house  in  the  evening.  Love  them  and  labor  for  them,  and  they 
will  love  you  and  take  care  of  you.  Preach  in  out-neighbor- 
hoods on  week  evenings,  and  the  people  will  come  to  the  vil- 
lage to  hear  you  preach  on  the  Sabbath.  But  if  you  are  un- 
faithful in  that  which  is  least,  who  will  intrust  you  with  that 
which  is  greater  ?  Do  you  say  your  health  will  not  allow  of 
this  large  amount  of  labor  ?  Let  me  assure  you  that  more  men 
die  for  lack  of  labor  than  in  consequence  of  labor.  Your 
health  will  be  promoted  by  the  exercise  of  walking  a  few  miles 
every  week,  and  preaching  in  the  evening.  Our  fathers  did 
not  have  the  dyspepsia,  nor  should  we  were  we,  like  them, 
"  abundant  in  labors."  Preach  during  the  week,  and  you  will 
preach  the  better  on  the  Sabbath  for  it.  And  while  walking 
to  these  appointments  you  can  muse  upon  some  passage  of 
Scripture,  upon  which  you  can  enlarge  profitably  and  savingly 
to  your  congregation.  Sermons  thus  prepared  may  have  less 
bone,  but  they  will  have  more  muscle  and  more  soul.  It  is  not 
your  whole  work  to  preach  so  many  sermons,  but  to  do  all  the 
good  and  save  all  the  souls  you  can. 

The  importance  of  pastoral  visiting  was  urged  by  the  Bishop 
upon  the  Conference  with  his  usual  felicity  and  zeal.  "  More 
preachers  are  desired,"  said  he,  "  because  they  are  good  pas- 
tors than  because  they  are  eloquent  preachers." 


KINDLINESS.  117 

And  what  Bishop  Janes  at  this  early  stage  of 
his  episcopal  career  was  at  those  two  Confer- 
ences, he  was  every-where.  In  all  places,  both 
among  preachers  and  people,  he  left  behind  him 
the  savor  of  wisdom  and  piety.  The  elder  min- 
isters regarded  him  with  a  parental  pride,  and 
the  younger  men  approached  him  with  fraternal 
affection. 

In  this  year  the  following  touching  and  teaching 
incident  occurred : 

A  boy  about  eleven  years  of  age,  a  cripple  by  paralysis  from 
infancy,  was  being  carried  by  his  mother  from  the  cars  to  the 
ferry  at  Jersey  City.  Just  as  they  were  leaving  the  train  a 
quiet,  unassuming  gentleman  came  to  them,  saying,  "That  boy 
seems  too  heavy  a  burden  for  you,  will  you  allow  me  to  carry 
him  ? "  The  mother  assented,  and  the  little  fellow  put  his 
arm  about  the  stranger's  neck  and  was  carried  to  the  boat  and 
placed  carefully  in  a  good  seat,  and  there  left  with  his  mother 
until  the  boat  had  crossed,  when  the  gentleman  returned  to  his 
charge,  and  with  a  smile  that  lingers  still  upon  the  memory, 
and  kind  words  that  soothed  and  comforted,  carried  the  boy 
to  the  waiting-room  in  the  New  York  depot,  where,  on  being 
assured  he  could  be  of  no  further  assistance,  he  bade  the  boy 
good-bye  and  left  him,  speaking  cordially  as  he  passed  out  to 
an  elderly  gentleman,  who  was  just  entering.  The  grateful 
boy  beckoned  to  this  elderly  gentleman  and  asked,  "  Can  you 
give  me  the  name  of  the  gentleman  to  whom  you  just  spoke?" 
"  That  is  Bishop  Janes,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church." 
That  boy  had  never  been  taught  to  venerate  Methodists  or 
Methodism,  but  from  that  hour  was  often  heard  to  say  he  knew 
at  least  one  good  man  who  was  a  Methodist.  His  limbs  never 
received  the  coveted  strength,  but  God  converted  his  soul,  and 

gave  him  abundant  grace  to  bear  his  affliction. 
6 


ii8  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Mr.  Thomas  P.  Day,  who  furnishes  this  incident 
as  evidence  of  the  influence  of  an  act  which  has 
followed  him  through  life,  is  now  a  local  preacher 
in  the  Newark  Conference. 

In  the  spring  of  1849,  after  holding  his  spring 
Conferences,  the  Bishop  settled  his  family  for  the 
summer  and  autumn  at  Mount  Vernon  Cottage, 
near  Mendham,  New  Jersey.  The  air  of  this  hilly 
region  was  very  favorable  to  the  health  of  Mrs. 
Janes  and  the  children.  Letters  passed  frequently 
between  the  little  group  and  the  absent  father  and 
husband.  They  were  the  offspring  of  sweet  affec- 
tions, and  strikingly  illustrate  the  characteristics  of 
this  wise  and  good  man.  I  can  give  only  extracts 
here  and  there.  The  quiet  pleasure  of  the  grave 
Bishop  may  be  imagined,  as,  possibly  seated  in  the 
chair  of  Conference,  such  missives  as  those  which 
follow  were  handed  to  him.  He  was  now  on  a  tour 
of  the  North-western  and  far  Western  Conferences. 

From  Elizabeth  to  her  father,  Mount  Vernon 
Cottage,  July  9,  1849: 

I  hope  you  are  very  well,  and  have  had  a  pleasant  journey 
back  to  Rockford  again.  Porter  gave  Katy  a  little  kitten  that 
she  calls  Rosa.  She  feeds  it  milk  morning,  noon,  and  night. 
It  is  very  playful.  We  have  a  fine  brood  of  young  turkeys. 
Their  color  is  white,  black,  and  a  light  slate  combined.  They 
are  eight  days  old  to-day,  and  are  very  large.  Our  chickens 
are  very  mischievous — they  eat  off  the  cabbages  and  root  up 
the  beans.  We  have  very  fine  raspberries,  black,  white,  and 
red,  which  mamma  enjoys  very  much.  I  must  now  bring  my 
letter  to  a  close. 


LETTERS  FROM  HIS  CHILDREN.          119 

From  Charlotte  to  her  father : 

We  received  your  two  letters  on  Saturday  afternoon,  and  I 
am  very  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  in  good  health.  We  are 
all  pretty  well  to-day,  and  nearly  over  our  whooping-cough. 
Yesterday  morning's  text  was,  "Continue  in  prayer."  On 
Saturday  Lewis  and  Mrs.  Isaacs  went  to  Morristown  and  were 
caught  in  the  showers,  as  it  was  a  rainy  day,  but  they  reached 
home  in  safety.  On  Sunday  as  we  were  leaving  the  church 
one  of  "  Favorite's  "  shoes  came  off,  so  she  could  not  go  to 
Mendham  in  the  afternoon.  Lewy  took  her  down  to  the  black- 
smith Monday  morning ;  and  yesterday  afternoon  Lewy,  Lizzie, 
Tilly,  Ellen,  Katy,  and  myself  went  to  pick  cherries. 

Ffom  Lewis  to  his  father : 

I  have  received  your  letter  dated  June  30.  I  was  very  happy 
to  hear  from  you,  and  hope  that  you  have  recovered  from  the 
fatigue  of  your  journey.  We  are  all  in  good  health.  Mamma 
had  the  headache  last  week,  but  is  now  quite  well.  Matilda  is 
also  improving.  Mrs.  Isaacs  and  I  went  to  Morristown  on 
Saturday.  We  took  our  feed  with  us,  and  fed  "  Favorite." 
Mamma  thinks  that  we  want  a  horse-net,  so  we  looked  for  one, 
but  could  not  find  any  to  suit  us,  and  we  sent  to  Mr.  King 
to  send  us  one,  which  he  did.  It  is  all  white,  and  looks  very 
pretty.  "  Favorite  "  is  very  well.  They  are  fixing  the  church 
at  Mendham.  I  should  like  to  look  into  Conference  and  see 
you  this  morning. 

From  Mrs.  Janes  to  Bishop  Janes : 

It  is  with  a  heart  overflowing  with  gratitude  to  God  that  I 
communicate  the  pleasing  intelligence  of  Matilda's  recovery. 
Her  improvement  during  the  past  week  has  been  astonishingly 
rapid.  .  .  .  Every  thing  seems  to  be  prospering  among  and 
around  us.  The  little  girls  are  growing  stout.  They  are  quite 
hearty,  and  enjoy  themselves  very  much.  I  do  not  confine 
them  to  much  study  this  warm  weather.  The  baby  is  this 
moment  saying,  pa-pa,  pa-pa.  When  we  ask  her  where  he  is, 


120  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

she  points  to  the  door  or  window.  ...  It  is  now  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  and  Lewis  and  I  are  going  to  take  a  leisurely 
ride  to  the  post-office,  as  the  weather  is  quite  warm.  But  we 
generally  find  some  air  up  here  on  Mount  Vernon.  .  .  . 

From  the  Bishop  to  Mrs.  Janes,  Mount  Morris, 
Illinois,  July  13,  1849: 

The  Wisconsin  Conference  was  protracted  and  tedious  on 
account  of  several  long  trials  of  preachers.  None  of  them 
amounted  to  much  after  they  were  investigated. 

The  Conference  adjourned  about  eleven  o'clock  last  Monday 
evening  with  much  good  feeling.  We  had  very  good  meetings 
during  the  session.  The  special  object  of  my  visit  to  this  place 
was  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  church  on  to-morrow. 
This  is  the  seat  of  the  Conference  Seminary,  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  institutions  of  learning  in  the  West.  The  place 
was  named  in  honor  of  Bishop  Morris.  It  is  a  beautiful  vil- 
lage. This  place  is  twenty-five  miles  from  Rockford,  the  seat 
of  the  Rock  River  Conference.  I  shall  remain  here  until  Mon- 
day, and  then  go  to  Rockford.  I  am  very  thankful  that  little 
Matilda  was  no  worse  when  your  letter  was  dated.  Perhaps 
the  Lord  will  preserve  her  to  us.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to  me 
to  know  that  you  are  so  comfortably  fixed  this  summer.  I 
hope  you  will  all  have  health  to  enjoy  all  your  means  of  pleas- 
ure. I  am  glad  to  hear  so  good  an  account  of  "  Favorite."  .  .  . 

My  mind  has  been  very  serene  since  the  first  two  or  three 
days  after  I  left  you.  I  have  calm  religious  delight.  My  de- 
votions are  refreshing  and  profitable.  I  am  trying  to  do  and 
suffer  the  will  of  God  with  a  right  spirit  and  in  a  proper  man- 
ner. It  is  my  meat  and  my  drink  to  do  the  will  of  my  Father 
in  heaven.  I  know  no  higher  bliss.  The  testimony  that  I  am 
pleasing  and  glorifying  God  is  the  highest  good  I  aspire  after 
in  this  world.  I  delight  in  this  greatly.  I  feel  that  the  smile 
of  the  Lord  rests  upon  me.  I  bless  his  holy  name  for  his  rich 
grace  bestowed  upon  you,  and  for  all  the  peace  and  comfort 
with  which  you  are  inspired.  I  pray  that  his  grace  may 


LETTERS.  121 

abound  unto  you  more  and  more.  I  am  very  desirous  that  our 
beloved  children  should  share  with  their  parents  in  the  mercy 
and  grace  of  God.  The  only  thing  concerning  them  about 
which  I  am  really  painfully  anxious  is  their  Christian  character. 
Please  to  kiss  each  of  them  for  their  father,  and  tell  them  he 
sends  them  his  love  and  his  blessing. 

To  this  reference  which  the  Bishop  makes  regard- 
ing his  religious  experience  the  spiritual  sense  of 
Mrs.  Janes  quickly  responded  : 

I  feel  very  thankful  to  you,  my  dear  husband,  that  you  have 
written  to  us  so  frequently.  It  is  such  a  relief  to  my  mind  to 
hear  from  time  to  time  of  your  health,  etc.  I  prize  very  highly 
the  brief  statement  of  your  Christian  experience  contained  in 
your  last  of  I3th  July.  God  be  praised  for  giving  you  right 
motives  and  divine  approval.  My  mind  continues  serene  and 
trustful. 

Again,  under  another  date,  about  this  time,  she 
writes  thus  cheerily : 

I  feel  quite  happy  in  my  mind,  arising  from  a  sweet  and  con- 
scious enjoyment  of  divine  things.  The  few  and  simple  means 
of  grace  which  I  attend  are  profitable  to  me.  I  find  the  Lord 
in  our  little  temples,  in  the  class- meeting,  at  the  family  altar, 
and  in  the  closet,  and  rejoice  in  those  manifestations  of  his 
love  which  he  from  time  to  time  imparts.  I  find  the  yoke  of 
Christ  to  be  easy  and  his  burden  light,  for  love  makes  all  things 
easy. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Iowa  City,  la.,  Aug.  2,  1849  : 

I  arrived  at  this  place  a  short  time  since,  on  my  way  to  the 
Iowa  Conference.  I  remain  here  to-night,  and  as  they  have 
given  out  an  appointment  for  me  to  preach  I  intend  to  give 
them  a  short  sermon.  I  shall  proceed  to-morrow  on  my  jour- 
ney. I  am  traveling  now  in  a  covered  carriage.  The  weather 


122  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

is  comfortable,  and  my  journey,  so  far,  very  pleasant.  It  is 
now  near  preaching  time,  and  I  must  be  brief.  I  wish  to  keep 
you  advised  as  fully  as  I  can  of  my  movements,  health,  etc.  ; 
also  as  frequently  as  I  can  to  renew  my  assurances  of  love  and 
of  constant,  affectionate,  and  prayerful  remembrance.  God  has 
been  very  gracious  to  me  on  this  official  tour.  I  have  been 
favored  with  more  than  a  usual  sense  of  his  presence,  and  also 
with  more  than  usual  divine  aid  in  the  performance  of  my 
great  duties.  My  mind  is  mostly  in  a  peaceful  and  confiding 
state.  I  think  I  have  been  enabled  to  do  some  good.  I  try  to 
live  and  labor  and  preach  for  this.  I  have  for  years  daily  con- 
secrated myself  unreservedly  to  God.  I  desire  and  aim  to 
glorify  him  in  my  body  and  soul,  which  are  his.  I  am  not  liv- 
ing to  myself.  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  know  that  my 
wife  is  a  devoted,  holy  Christian  ;  that  she  is  a  part  of  God's 
consecrated  property  on  earth. 

From  Fort  Madison,  Iowa,  August  10,  1849,  to 
Mrs.  Janes  : 

I  am  in  quite  good  health.  I  have  had  no  cholera  symptoms 
for  several  weeks.  The  prospect  now  is  that  I  shall  not  be 
exposed  to  it  any  more  during  my  tour,  as  it  has  left  the  places 
where  my  other  Conferences  are  to  be  holden.  This  is  cause 
of  very  great  thankfulness.  I  hope  I  am  suitably  affected  by 
this  goodness  of  our  heavenly  Father.  The  Iowa  Conference 
is  progressing  very  pleasantly  indeed.  My  next  Conference 
will  be  held  at  St.  Louis.  Tell  Lewis  and  Charlotte  I  am  very 
much  obliged  to  them  for  their  affectionate  letters,  and  will 
answer  them  as  soon  as  I  can.  Tell  Lizzie  I  am  just  as  much 
obliged  to  her  for  her  good-will  to  write  me  a  letter  as  though 
I  received  one  from  her  little  hand  and  heart. 

To   Lewis,  from   Keosauqua,   Iowa,  August    16, 

1849: 

...  I  have  been  much  pleased  with  your  letters  this  sum- 
mer. The  composition  has  generally  been  good,  and  the 
spelling  and  writing  quite  commendable.  ...  It  is  a  very 


LETTERS.  123 

great  accomplishment  for  a  young  man  to  be  a  good  letter 
writer.  .  .  .  Lewis  must  never  forget  the  kind  attentions  of 
his  loving  and  patient  mother.  He  will  always  owe  her  a  great 
deal  of  gratitude  and  love.  .  .  .  There  has  not  been  much 
new  or  interesting  in  my  travels  since  I  wrote  to  you  last.  My 
travels  have  again  been  across  prairies,  where  I  have  seen 
prairie  chickens,  etc.,  and  one  evening  saw  two  prairie  wolves, 
but,  as  there  were  several  of  us,  they  ran  away  as  fast  as  they 
could.  They  are  easily  frightened,  except  when  very  hungry. 
The  Iowa  Conference  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  We  had  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  and  some  interesting  religious 
services  at  the  time  of  adjournment.  Fort  Madison,  where  the 
Conference  was  held,  is  a  small  town  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River.  There  was  once  a  fort  there.  .  .  . 

I  am  now  in  Van  Buren  County,  about  forty  miles  west  of 
the  Mississippi.  I  came  here  because  it  is  indirectly  on  my  way 
to  St.  Louis,  and  because  it  is  a  healthy  and  quiet  place  where 
I  can  get  a  little  rest.  When  in  the  towns  so  many  call  upon 
me,  and  I  am  urged  so  much  to  preach,  that  I  get  but  very 
little  repose  for  my  mind  or  body.  ...  I  hope  you  will  seek 
and  find  a  new  heart.  Become  altogether  good.  Then  you 
will  be  happy  yourself  and  make  your  parents  and  sisters  and 
all  with  whom  you  have  to  do  happy.  You  will  also  then  be 
prepared  for  the  heavenly  world  when  you  die.  I  am  glad  that 
"  Favorite  "  is  so  much  of  a  favorite  with  you  all,  and  that  you 
have  so  much  comfort  in  your  rides.  You  must  continue  to 
take  good  care  of  her,  and  drive  carefully. 

To  Charlotte,  from  Churchville,  Mo.,  August  24, 
1849: 

I  am  not  quite  certain,  but  I  think  it  is  your  turn  to  receive 
a  letter  from  papa.  ...  I  have  just  arrived  here,  having 
come  for  the  purpose  of  taking  steamboat  to  go  down  the 
river,  and  as  I  am  waiting  I  improve  the  minutes  to  write  you 
a  hurried  letter.  .  .  .  While  I  was  back  in  the  country  I  spent 
several  days  with  a  very  excellent  doctor.  He  had  a  lame  pa- 
tient, and  he  desired  me  to  aid  him  in  amputating  his  leg.  As 


124  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

doctors  live  far  apart  in  that  new  country  I  consented  to  be 
present  and  assist  what  I  could.  The  amputation  was  well 
performed,  but  the  poor  man  was  too  weak  from  previous  loss 
of  blood  and  disease  to  survive  it ;  he  died  in  three  or  four 
hours  after  the  operation.  I  attended  him  the  day  before  the 
amputation,  and  talked  with  him  about  religion  and  prayed 
with  him,  and  did  the  same  the  morning  of  the  day  he  died. 
He  prayed  very  earnestly  for  mercy.  I  hope  he  obtained  it. 
It  was  altogether  a  painful  case.  I  am  much  obliged  to  Char- 
lotte for  her  affectionate  letters  since  I  have  been  on  this  tour 
of  duty.  They  have  generally  been  very  well  written  for  so 
young  a  correspondent.  The  last  one  was  a  very  sweet  one. 
Vfery  good  language,  pretty  good  penmanship,  and  excellent 
sentiments.  I  am  very  much  pleased  with  it.  I  have  read  it 
a  good  many  times. 

I  am  thankful  that  you  are  still  desiring  and  trying  to  be 
good.  I  pray  much  for  you,  as  does  also  your  dear  mother. 
But  you  must  not  depend  upon  the  prayers  of  your  parents. 
You  must  rely  altogether  upon  the  blessed  Saviour.  Jesus  can 
save  you.  He  can  bless  and  convert  you  now.  I  hope  you 
will  be  able  to  tell  me,  when.  I  come  home,  that  you  have  found 
him,  and  that  you  are  happy  in  religion.  That  will  make  me 
very  happy.  When  I  was  about  starting  on  this  long  journey 
Charlotte  said  she  wished  the  time  of  my  absence  was  past, 
and  I  was  home  again.  But  let  me  ask  Charlotte,  Have  you 
not  had  some  pleasures,  some  delightful  seasons,  some  oppor- 
tunities of  improvement,  since  I  left  you  ?  These  you  could 
not  have  had  if  your  wish  had  been  granted.  You  did  not 
think  of  this  when  you  made  that  wish.  So  you  will  be  wiser 
next  time.  We  will  learn  to  leave  things  to  the  order  of  our 
heavenly  Father,  and  all  will  be  right. 

To  Elizabeth,  from  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  August  28, 
1849: 

I  arrived  here  yesterday,  and  expected  confidently  to  find 
letters  from  home.  So  the  first  thing  was  to  inquire  for  my 


LETTERS.  125 

letters.  A  large  bundle  was  handed  me,  and  I  soon  looked  at 
the  handwriting  and  post-mark  of  them  all,  and  lo  I  none  was 
from  the  beloved  ones.  I  was  much  disappointed.  So  this 
morning,  as  soon  as  the  post-office  was  open,  I  was  there  to 
inquire  for  letters.  The  post-master  handed  me  two,  and  I 
soon  saw  they  were  mamma's  handwriting.  I  broke  open  the 
one  having  the  last  post-mark,  and  read  enough  to  learn  that 
you  were  all  well,  and  then  put  them  into  my  pocket  and 
walked  home  pleased  and  thankful.  Though  I  found  a  num- 
ber of  preachers  in  my  room  on  my  return,  I  would  not  stop 
to  do  business  with  them  until  I  had  read  both,  or  indeed  all 
the  letters,  for  there  were  five  in  two.  I  thank  our  heavenly 
Father  for  taking  care  of  you  all,  and  keeping  you  well  and 
happy.  O,  how  much  I  desire  to  come  and  see  you  all  !  I 
would  give  a  great  deal  to  spend  but  one  day  at  Mount  Ver- 
non.  1  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  letter  written  by  your 
sister  Charlotte.  It  gives  a  very  full  and  correct  answer  to 
my  questions.  I  hope  no  more  of  the  bipeds  are  lost.  Fifty 
chickens  must  make  quite  a  large  flock.  I  hope  the  kitty  has 
fallen  into  good  hands,  where  she  will  be  well  used,  but  I  hope 
no  one  will  pet  her  quite  so  much  as  Lizzie  did. 

Does  Elizabeth  read  her  Bible  ?  Does  she  think  about  the 
Saviour  ?  Does  she  pray  ?  Does  she  try  to  be  religious  ?  I 
hope  so.  She  is  old  enough  now  to  be  a  Christian. 

PEORIA,  ILL.,  Sept.  12,  1849 

DEAR  WIFE  :  On  last  Sabbath  afternoon  I  was  taken  quite 
ill  with  bilious  dysentery.  This  afternoon  (Wednesday)  I  rode 
out.  The  doctor  thinks  I  may  with  safety  start  to-morrow  for 
Quincy.  A  preacher  goes  with  me,  and  takes  me  in  a  comfort- 
able covered  carriage.  If  you  see  accounts  of  my  sickness  in 
the  papers  you  need  not  be  alarmed.  I  have  told  you  the  true 
state  of  the  case. 

To  Charlotte,  from  Quincy,  111.,  September  17, 


...  I  left  Peoria  (from  whence   I  wrote   on    Wednesday 

last)  in  a  private  carriage,  not  being  well  enough  to  take  the 
6* 


126  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

stage.  I  rode  thirty-three  miles  the  first  day,  fifty  the  second, 
and  fifty-six  the  third  day.  Was  not  that  good  traveling  for  a 
man  who  got  off  from  a  sick  bed  to  start  ?  But  O,  they  were 
wearisome,  suffering  days  !  When  I  arrived  here,  though  much 
fatigued,  my  health  was  as  good  as  when  I  left  Peoria.  It  is 
remarkable  what  good  care  the  Lord  takes  of  me.  This  morn- 
ing (Monday)  my  health  is  quite  improved.  I  feel  that  I  am 
getting  well.  I  have  a  very  comfortable  home,  and  am  taking 
good  care  of  myself.  .  .  . 

At  this  Conference  I  have  two  sets  of  presiding  elders,  one 
German  and  one  English.  All  the  German  missionaries  for 
the  States  of  Missouri,  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  and  Illinois  are  con- 
nected with  this  Conference.  This  will  make  my  duties  very 
laborious.  I  meet  the  German  presiding  elders  at  half  past 
one  o'clock  this  afternoon  in  order  to  make  out  their  appoint- 
ments, as  far  as  I  can,  before  the  Conference  meets.  It  was 
for  this  purpose  I  hurried  to  get  here  on  Saturday.  I  am 
pleased  that  you  are  so  much  interested  in  preaching.  I  hope 
the  sermons  which  you  hear  will  lead  you  to  the  blessed 
Saviour.  I  hope  dear  Charlotte  and  all  my  children  will  be- 
come Christians  now,  while  they  are  in  their  youthful  days. 

"  A  flower,  when  offered  in  the  bud, 
Is  no  vain  sacrifice." 

.  .  .  Tell  sister  Lizzie  I  reciprocate  her  love.  Ask  her  what 
reciprocate  means.  If  she  cannot  tell,  you  can  explain  it  to 
her.  Then  you  will  teach  her  something  that  will  be  useful. 
I  am  also  pleased  to  hear  that  her  turkeys  and  chickens  are 
growing  well.  Tell  mamma  I  think  if  you  all  keep  well,  and  I 
hope  you  will,  you  had  better  remain  where  you  are  until  I 
come  home.  I  would  like  very  much  to  visit  you  in  your 
summer  quarters.  Now  be  cheerful,  be  playful,  be  prayerful, 
be  dutiful,  be  good,  be  happy.  May  our  heavenly  Father  bless 
you  in  all  things  ! 

Bishop  Janes  met  his,  last  Conference  for  1849, 
the  Indiana,  at  Rising  Sun,  Ohio  County,  Indiana, 


CLOSE  OF  WESTERN  TOUR.  127 

on  October  10.  Here  he  found  letters  awaiting 
him  from  home  assuring  him  of  the  eager  joy  with 
which  they  were  anticipating  his  return.  "  I  am 
glad,"  says  one  of  the  children,  "  that  the  time  is 
drawing  near  when  you  are  to  come  home."  "  O, 
how  glad  I  am,"  says  another,  "  that  you  are  on  the 
journey  homeward,  and  I  hope  I  shall  soon  see 
you  ;  "  while  the  wife  adds,  "  I  rejoice  God's  hand 
is  still  stretched  out  over  you  for  good,  and  that  we 
may  anticipate  the  unspeakable  satisfaction  of  soon 
welcoming  you  to  the  bosom  of  your  own  lonesome 
family.  Be  assured  that  your  reception  will  be 
characterized  by  more  abundant  joy  than  perhaps 
was  ever  before  manifested,  for  as  the  children 
grow  larger  they  become  more  sensible  of  the  pri- 
vation they  sustain  in  the  protracted  absence  of 
their  dear  and  honored  father." 

The  foregoing  letters  give  only  the  inner  glimpses 
of  the  Bishop's  work  on  this  long  and  arduous 
journey — for  he  seldom,  even  to  his  own  family, 
made  allusions  to  his  work,  especially  its  difficulties 
and  triumphs.  But  from  the  religious  journals  of 
the  day  we  glean  marked  proofs  of  the  efficiency 
and  acceptability  of  his  preaching  and  administra- 
tion. The  correspondent  of  the  "  Illinois  Advocate  " 
writes  from  the  Iowa  Conference  session  :  "  Bishop 
Janes  looks  as  he  did  three  years  ago,  except  that 
his  face  is  a  little  care-worn  and  his  dark  hair  is 
becoming  thoroughly  sprinkled  with  the  tint  that 


128  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

bespeaks  advancing  years.  ...  In  the  examination 
of  characters  he  proceeds  with  a  rapidity  unequaled 
on  the  bench  of  superintendents.  His  processes 
are  both  original  and  successful.  No  Kishop  will 
turn  off  more  men  in  a  given  time  than  the  junior 
of  the  apostolic  college  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church."  Another,  to  "  Zion's  Herald," 
says :  "  We  had  Bishop  Janes,  who  left  with  us 
not  only  the  reputation  of  a  Methodist  Bishop, 
but  the  deep  impression  of  an  apostolic  minister 
of  Christ.  .  .  .  Being  the  first  visit  of  a  superin- 
tendent to  the  Des  Moines  country,  the  people 
were  delighted." 

The  correspondent  of  the  "  Western  Advocate  " 
writes  from  the  seat  of  the  Illinois  Conference : 
"  Bishop  Janes  was  with  us  in  very  feeble  health, 
but  with  a  clear  head  and  a  warm  heart  presided 
over  our  deliberations  as  much  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  Conference  as  any  former  Bishop  ever  did. 
Long  may  he  live  to  bless  the  Church  and  the 
world  with  the  wisdom  of  his  counsels  and  the  sanc- 
tifying influence  of  his  piety  and  ministry !  "  At 
Peoria  he  dedicated  a  new,  "  tasteful  brick  "  church. 
"  The  house  was  crowded  with  attentive  hearers  ; 
and  though  the  Bishop  was  in  feeble  health,  yet  he 
was  heard  by  all  the  people,  and  the  Spirit  of  God 
which  accompanied  the  word  seemed  to  reach  all 
their  hearts  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  at  the  gath- 
ering up  of  the  glorious  stars  to  deck  his  gospel 


INDIANA  CONFERENCE.  129 

crown  he  will  have  some  seals  to  his  ministry  on 
that  occasion." 

The  "  Indiana  American  "  so  aptly  characterizes 
the  Bishop  and  his  ingenious,  delicate  methods 
while  presiding  at  the  session  of  the  Indiana  Con- 
ference, that  I  cannot  forbear  an  additional  extract : 

Bishop  Janes  presided.  He  is  apparently  the  youngest 
Bishop,  small  in  stature,  with  a  pleasant,  round  face,  and  a 
musical  feminine  voice.  He  is  an  able  and  dignified  presiding 
officer.  His  manners  are  easy,  his  head  clear,  and  his  decis- 
ions prompt  and  courteous.  This  is  his  first  visit  to  the  Indiana 
Conference,  but  he  has  left  a  favorable  impression.  His  clos- 
ing remarks  to  the  ministers,  who  were  about  to  leave  and  go 
to  their  respective  fields  of  labor,  were  peculiarly  appropriate 
and  touching.  Could  we  hope  to  catch  the  first  inspiration  of 
their  beauty  and  purity,  their  truth  and  eloquence,  we  would 
give  a  sketch.  We  shall  not  attempt  it. 

Before  the  benediction  the  ministers  partook  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  After  this,  the  most  affecting  and  solemn  scene  we 
ever  witnessed  ensued.  The  Bishop  invited  the  wives  of  the 
ministers  to  come  forward  by  themselves  and  kneel  at  the  altar 
to  partake  of  the  sacrament.  The  wives  and  companions  of 
Methodist  ministers — the  companions  of  their  griefs,  their  jour- 
neys, and  their  labors.  O  !  it  was  a  solemn  scene  to  see  those 
devoted,  cross-bearing,  and  self-denying  wives  of  itinerant  min- 
isters humbly  bow  at  that  altar. 

A  correct  estimate  of  the  endurance  required 
on  this  tour  can  only  be  had  when  it  is  recollected 
that  almost  all  the  travel  was  performed  by  stage- 
coach or  private  carriage,  over  comparatively  rough 
roads,  and  through  regions  where  the  lodgings  were 
uncomfortable,  and  the  fare  often  unpalatable  and 


130  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

unwholesome.  Since  then  what  changes  !  railroads 
cross  the  country  in  all  directions!  flourishing  towns 
and  cities,  and  beautiful,  well-appointed  farms  in- 
vite to  their  bounteous  stores !  Then  the  Method- 
ism of  all  Illinois  was  not  over  30,000,  nor  that  of 
Iowa  over  io,oco,  members,  and  the  new  Missouri 
Conference  was  but  in  its  infancy. 


THE  DUTIES  OF  STEWARDS.  131 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

1850-1852. 

Illness  of  Bishops  Hedding  and  Hamline— Extraordinary  Labors— 
The  Missionary  Cause. 

IT  does  not  appear  from  the  General  Minutes  that 
the  Bishop  had  any  Conferences  assigned  him  in 
the  spring  of  1850. 

An  official  letter  from  the  stewards  of'St.  George's 
Church,  Philadelphia,  complaining  that  they  were 
unequally  burdened  for  the  support  of  their  presid- 
ing elder,  drew  from  him  the  following  opinion, 
March  25,  1850: 

You  will  please  bear  in  mind  that  all  the  rules  and  regula- 
tions of  the  Church  must  be  general.     It  would  be  unreason- 
able to  suppose  that  rules  adopted  for  the  government  of  so 
numerous  and  extended  a  connection  as  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  should  operate  to  entire  satisfaction  under  all 
the  varieties  of  circumstances  that  might  arise.     This  would 
require  an  exemption  from  that  imperfection  which  appertains 
to  every  thing  human.     The  Discipline  requires  stewards  to  be 
men  of  solid  piety,  who  both  know  and  love  the  Methodist 
doctrine  and  discipline,  and  of  good  natural  and  acquired  abil- 
ities to  transact  the  temporal  business.     The  district  stewards 
are  to  be  appointed  by  the  Quarterly  Conferences  from  among 
these  men  of  solid  piety,  etc.     Now  it  is  reasonable  to  expect 
such  Christian  and  intelligent  brethren  to  act  religiously,  can- 
didly, and  honorably.    It  is  true,  the  position  of  a  district  stew- 


132  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ard  is  not  without  temptation,  but  we  do  not  perceive  any  very 
strong  temptation.  The  business  of  a  district  stewards'  meet- 
ing requires  modesty  and  prudence  in  the  representatives  of 
the  weaker  charges,  and  good  judgment  and  magnanimity  in 
the  representatives  of  the  stronger  charges.  We  think  these 
qualifications  are  generally  found  in  our  stewards.  Still  we 
admit  there  may  be  cases  in  which  the  district  stewards  mis- 
judge, and  where  their  apportionments  are  unequal  and  unjust. 
Possibly  such  has  been  the  fact  in  your  case.  If  the  district 
stewards,  as  you  represent,  have  based  their  apportionment  on 
"numbers  only,"  they  certainly  have  erred.  The  Discipline 
makes  "ability"  the  basis  of  the  apportionment. 

Early  in  the  season  he  located  his  family  in  West 
Jersey,  on  "  Succasunny  Plains,"  not  far  from  the 
point  where  they  spent  the  preceding  summer. 
Meanwhile  he  had  purchased  a  farm  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, hereafter  known  as  "  Mount  Wesley," 
which  became  for  twenty  years  the  country  home. 
References  to  this  spot,  which  was  the  center  of  so 
many  thoughts  and  pleasures  to  the  great  wanderer 
over  the  earth,  begin  to  crop  out  in  the  corre- 
spondence of  this  season.  It  became  a  green  hill 
to  which,  when  far  away  over  land  and  sea,  his 
heart  wishfully  turned  and  found  imaginary  rest. 
Bishop  Janes,  true  to  his  early  traditions  and  to  the 
instincts  of  all  pure  natures,  was  a  sincere  lover  of 
the  country.  He  found  an  inexhaustible  pleasure 
in  communion  with  the  varied  forms  of  animate 
and  inanimate  nature,  and  I  think,  so  far  as  personal 
ambition  goes,  could  cheerfully  have  laid  down  his 
high  office  at  any  time,  to  take  up  and  pursue  the 


WESTWARD  AGAIN.  133 

homely  duties  of  the  farm,  and  to  wrest  a  livelihood 
from  the  stern  soil.  One  clause  no  doubt  he  would 
have  inserted  in  his  release — the  privilege  of  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  to  his  neighbors,  and,  especially,  to 
the  poor,  wherever  within  his  reach. 

The  Bishop's  first  Conference  for  the  summer  and 
autumn  was  the  Western  Virginia,  at  Parkersburgh, 
Virginia. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Wheeling,  Virginia,  June 
3,  1850: 

I  reached  this  city  in  safety  about  eight  o'clock  on  Saturday 
evening.  .  .  .  My  stage  ride  from  Cumberland,  Maryland,  was 
rather  uncomfortable,  as  I  was  crowded  between  two  large  and 
aged  men.  The  night  in  the  mountains  was  quite  cold.  We 
could  judge  of  our  altitude  on  the  mountain  by  the  state  of  the 
leaves  of  the  trees.  No  accident  of  note  all  the  way.  Though 
I  traveled  thus  constantly,  day  and  night,  in  comparison  with 
the  labors  of  the  two  preceding  months  it  was  rest.  I  really 
found  myself  rested  when  I  arrived  here.  My  attention  had 
been  diverted,  my  sympathies  had  been  relaxed,  the  burden  of 
official  responsibility  had  been  temporarily  removed,  and  my 
body  and  mind  had  found  rest.  Yesterday  I  preached  once, 
with  a  good  degree  of  liberty,  and,  I  hope,  to  some  good  pur- 
pose. To-day  I  have  been  hard  at  work  trying  to  bring  up  my 
correspondence.  To-night,  at  nine  o'clock,  I  expect  to  take  a 
steamboat  for  Parkersburgh. 

I  have  never  felt  more  afflicted  on  leaving  home  than  I  have 
this  time.  The  feeble  state  of  your  health  is  the  greatest  cause 
of  my  anxiety.  I  know  full  well  from  experience,  that  when  our 
health  is  poor  and  our  nervous  system  deranged,  care  is  a 
burden,  and  kind  offices  from  those  we  love  are  very  grate- 
ful. I  wish  I  could  be  with  you  to  relieve  you  of  all  care,  and 
to  soothe  all  your  sufferings.  A  divine  providence  has  ordered 


134  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

it  otherwise,  and  I  submit.  Though  absent  from  you  in  body 
I  am  with  you  in  spirit.  My  heart  will  stay  at  home.  Wife 
and  children  are  before  my  mind  very  frequently  through  the 
day  and  very  often  in  the  dreams  of  the  night. 

The  little  winged  messengers  flew  very  fast  after 
the  receding  father  and  husband.  Here's  a  dainty 
one  from  Charlotte,  which  refreshed  him  on  his  ar- 
rival at  Canton,  Ohio: 

SUCCASUNNY,  June  ii,  1850. 

I  was  happy  to  learn  in  your  letter  to  mamma  that  you  were 
in  good  health,  and  was  rested  by  your  journey.  I  hope  your 
conferences  will  be  short  and  easy,  and  will  not  fatigue  you 
much.  Last  Friday  morning  Lewis  took  Lizzie  and  me  over 
to  the  farm,  and  we  brought  home  four  pounds  of  butter,  ajid 
a  bunch  of  peonies,  May  roses,  and  snowballs.  This  morning 
Lewis  and  grandpapa  went  to  the  farm  and  brought  back  three 
pounds  of  butter,  some  asparagus,  two  dozen  eggs,  radishes, 
the  first  we  have  had  of  our  own,  and  a  little  branch  of  cur- 
rants, which  mamma  said  were  not  yet  fit  for  use,  but  would 
be  by  next  week,  and  a  pair  of  fowls,  which  Lizzie  and  I  picked 
this  afternoon.  I  wish  you  were  here  to  enjoy  with  us  our  nu- 
merous little  pleasures,  each  one  of  which  would  be  heightened 
by  the  presence  of  papa.  I  am  sorry  that  dear  mamma's  health 
has  not  improved  as  we  hoped  it  would.  I  trust  she  will  soon 
be  better.  Matilda  is  well  and  happy,  and  is  learning  to  talk 
very  fast.  She  often  runs  out  on  the  sand-hill  and  plays. 
Lizzie  wishes  me  to  tell  you  for  her  that  she  is  well  and  sends 
her  love. 

Mrs.  Janes  adds  : 

I  am  not  able  to  write  much  this  morning.  Accept  the  re- 
newed assurance  of  my  undying  love  and  gratitude.  I  feel 
indebted  to  my  dear  husband  for  innumerable  comforts  and 
blessings  which,  under  God,  flow  to  me  through  him.  I  daily 


LETTERS.  135 

appreciate  and  enjoy  both  him  and  them.  Father  continues 
well.  He  is  unceasing  in  his  efforts  to  make  us  happy.* 

Again  Mrs.  Janes  writes,  Jxine  19 : 

Indeed,  I  am  now  enjoying  that  quiet  retirement  for  which  I 
have  so  long  sighed.  We  find  the  house  pleasant  and  airy — 
my  room  very  agreeable.  .  .  .  And  O  what  brilliant  sunsets 
I  daily  behold  sitting  by  my  window  !  The  birds  sing  all  day 
long,  and  the  flowers  are  blooming  beautifully.  I  am  literally 
surrounded  with  bouquets  of  flowers  in  my  room.  And  dear 
little  Lizzie  invariably  presents  me  with  a  nosegay  of  pinks  and 
roses  when  I  come  down  to  my  meals.  The  moonlight  even- 
ings this  week  are  most  tempting.  I  sat  up  till  a  late  hour 
last  night  viewing  the  moon  just  in  front  of  my  window.  My 
thoughts  were  sweetly  soothing  and  solemn.  While  alone 
with  God  I  was  engaged  in  meditation  and  prayer.  I  feel  that 
I  am  indeed  encompassed  with  innumerable  blessings,  for 
which  I  never  felt  so  much  thankfulness  nor  appreciated  so 
fully  as  at  present.  But  it  has  always  been  my  experience  that 

"  Thy  gifts  alone  cannot  suffice 
Unless  Thyself  be  given." 

And  I  am  glad  that  it  is  so.  Our  blessed  Lord,  in  much 
mercy,  bestows  upon  me  the  richer  gifts  of  his  love,  manifests 
his  presence,  and  gives  the  transforming  power  of  his  grace. 
My  heart  is  going  out  * 

"  in  strong  desire 
The  perfect  bliss  to  prove." 

.  .  .  We  think  of  you,  dear  husband,  and  speak  of  you  every 
day.  If  we  were  disposed  to  forget  you,  father  would  not  al- 
low it,  for  he  delights  to  talk  of  Edmund,  and  loves  to  fix  in  his 
mind  just  where  you  are  and  what  you  are  doing.  May  wis- 
dom and  might  be  yours  ! 

*  The  father  of  Bishop  Janes,  who  was  now  making  his  home 
with  the  Bishop's  family. 


136  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

The  following  touches  of  Charlotte's  pen  must 
have  affected  divers  chords  in  the  father's  heart : 

We  would  be  very  much  pleased  if,  at  the  end  of  one  of 
your  Conferences,  you  would  come  and  spend  a  few  days  with 
us,  and  see  how  all  the  things  are  coming  on.  Yesterday 
morning  Lizzie  and  I  weeded  five  beds  in  the  garden.  I  send 
you  a  few  rose  leaves  that  you  may  see  what  various  hues  we 
have.  Caroline  [the  nurse]  says  she  wishes  there  was  some 
way  to  preserve  a  bouquet  of  flowers  till  your  return.  ...  At 
eleven  o'clock  every  morning  Lizzie,  Caroline,  and  I,  and  some- 
times Lewis,  meet  together  for  the  purpose  of  prayer.  If  at 
that  time  your  mind  is  not  too  much  engrossed  by  other 
thoughts,  think  of  us  as  kneeling  in  the  spare  room,  and  meet 
with  us  in  spirit. 

The  Bishop,  en  route  for  Canton,  Ohio,  the  seat 
of  the  approaching  Pittsburgh  Conference,  writes 
to  this  daughter,  June  13,  1850: 

I  think  if  Charlotte  knew  how  pleased  her  father  is  to  hear 
from  her  when  he  is  absent  it  would  make  it  a  pleasure  to  her 
to  write  to  him.  I  have  read  your  last  letter  over  several  times. 
...  I  reached  this  place  [Wellsville,  Ohio]  last  evening.  I 
hurried  up  the  river  as  fast  as  I  could,  because  the  water  was 
very  low  and  still  falling.  I  feared  I  might  get  on  a  sand-bar 
and  be  detained  so  long  that  I  should  not  get  to  the  Pittsburgh 
Conference  in  season.  But  I  am  now  passed  these  uncertain- 
ties, as  I  have  no  more  river  travel.  I  go  from  here  by  stage. 
The  Ohio  River  is  a  very  beautiful  one.  Many  of  the  villages 
are  delightful.  The  steamboats  on  it,  however,  are  not  as 
good  as  those  on  the  Hudson  River.  How  do  you  busy  your- 
self nowadays  ?  Do  you  work  any  ?  Are  you  learning  to 
keep  house  for  mamma  when  she  is  sick  or  gets  old  ?  I  wish 
you  to  know  how  to  do  all  kinds  of  woman's  work.  You  are 
old  enough  to  learn  how  to  do  many  kinds  of  work.  I  wish 
you  to  play  some  for  exercise.  .  .  .  How  come  on  the  flow- 


ABUNDANT  LABORS.  137 

ers  ?  Are  any  of  them  growing  ?  Can  you  make  me  a  bou- 
quet when  I  come  home  ?  We  shall  see.  It  is  good  exercise 
for  young  ladies  to  cultivate  flowers.  Does  it  begin  to  seem 
like  home  where  you  are  ?  I  think  I  should  feel  at  home  almost 
any  where,  if  mamma  and  the  children  were  with  me.  O  how 
I  would  like  to  drop  in  and  take  a  cup  of  tea  with  you  this 
evening,  and  read  the  Bible  and  sing  and  pray  with  you  before 
you  go  to  rest  to-night !  Well,  if  our  heavenly  Father  permit, 
we  shall  have  that  pleasure  one  of  these  days.  Time  rolls 
away  very  fast.  I  attended  the  Sunday-school  anniversary  at 
the  Western  Virginia  Conference.  Just  before  I  arose  to 
make  my  speech  the  choir  struck  up  and  sang  very  beautifully, 
"  I  want  to  be  like  Jesus,"  etc.  It  really  seemed  for  a  moment 
as  if  I  was  at  home,  with  my  children  around  me  singing  one 
of  their  favorite  hymns.  It  is  a  beautiful  hymn.  After  you 
have  read  this  letter  I  wish  you  all  to  sing  it  to  grandpa.  And 
1  hope  you  will  all  try  to  be  like  Jesus.  O  what  an  attain- 
ment !  To  be  like  Jesus ! 

A  letter  to  Dr.  J.  M.  Howe,  from  Wellsville, 
Ohio,  June  14,  1850,  lets  light  upon  the  Bishop's 
life  of  ceaseless  toil  and  the  motives  which  con- 
trolled it : 

I  was  very  desirous  to  see  you  before  I  left  for  this  long  tour 
of  official  duty.  Indeed,  I  was  very  anxious  all  winter  to  ob- 
tain at  least  an  hour  to  call  upon  yourself  and  family.  The 
past  year  has  been  one  of  incessant  toil.  My  duties  engrossed 
my  attention  day  and  night,  at  home  and  abroad.  I  do  not 
recollect  making  more  than  three  social  calls  during  the  season, 
and  those  were  special  cases  where  I  hoped  to  be  useful.  I 
seldom,  during  the  winter,  retired  until  after  midnight,  gener- 
ally not  until  one  or  two  in  the  morning.  For  the  most  part  I 
was  obliged  to  neglect  my  private  business  and  domestic  obli- 
gations. What  little  time  was  given  to  these  was  redeemed 
from  the  pillow.  Brethren  tell  me  I  ought  not  to  take  upon 


138  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JAMES. 

me  so  much  labor.  Perhaps  they  judge  correctly,  but  they 
form  their  opinion  without  knowing  the  circumstances  of  the 
case.  If  they  fully  understood  all  the  peculiarities  of  my  ob- 
ligations, and  felt  them  as  one  feels  them  in  my  office,  called  to 
exercise  a  general  superintendency  over  a  Church  of  near 
700,000  members  and  4,000  pastors,  they  might  judge  very 
differently.  The  example  of  one  in  my  position  must  have 
much  influence  upon  preachers  and  people.  They  cannot  un- 
derstand the  private  duties  of  my  office.  They  know  little  or 
nothing  of  my  really  burdensome  correspondence,  of  my  thou- 
sand anxious  cares  ;  consequently  they  can  see  no  good  reason 
why  I  should  not  be  all  the  while  traveling  or  preaching.  No 
person  can  know  but  by  experience  the  exhaustion  of  our  con- 
ference cares  and  duties  ;  the  amount  of  intellectual  labor  to 
be  performed  in  a  few  days  ;  the  constant  harassing  of  our  feel- 
ings by  preachers  and  people ;  the  loss  of  rest  night  after  night. 
These  things  are  sometimes  very  crushing.  Yet  we  must  go 
from  one  such  scene  to  another,  month  after  month.  Still  the 
preachers  and  people  do  not  see  our  mental  exertions,  our 
cares,  our  anxiety,  our  sleepless  nights.  They,  therefore, 
know  no  reason  why  we  should  not  be  constant  in  addressing 
public  meetings  and  preaching,  and  especially  so  with  a  Bishop 
of  my  age.  Bishop  Redding  they  are  willing  to  regard  as  par- 
tially superannuated  ;  but  I  am  expected  to  work.  Conscious 
that  in  many  respects  I  fail  in  meeting  the  claims  of  my  office, 
I  am  desirous  of  at  least  setting  my  brethren  an  example  of 
industry.  This  has  led  me  to  take  some  appointments  which 
under  other  circumstances  I  should  have  declined.  I  hope, 
however,  that  after  the  next  General  Conference  I  may  be  per- 
mitted to  labor  a  little  more  moderately.  I  am  trying  to  do 
right. 

After  the  close  of  the  Pittsburgh  Conference  the 
Bishop  went  to  the  Erie  Conference  at  Painesville, 
Ohio  ;  thence  to  the  town  of  Medina,  where  he 
presided  over  the  North  Ohio  Conference  ;  thence 


BISHOPS  HEDDING  AND  HAMLINE.       139 

to  the  session  of  the  North  Indiana  Conference,  at 
Cambridge,  Ind.  ;  thence  south-west  to  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  the  seat  of  the  Ohio  Conference.  With  the 
session  of  this  Conference,  held  September  18-27, 
closed  his  more  public  work  for  the  year  1850. 

The  Church  was  fast  recovering  from  the  deple- 
tion caused  by  the  great  separation.  It  reported  for 
the  year  an  increase  of  27,367  members  and  proba- 
tioners, and  41 1  traveling  preachers. 

While  the  year  1850  closed  auspiciously  for  the 
work,  there  were  evidences  that  the  hand  of  God 
was  resting  heavily  upon  the  general  superintend- 
ents. Bishop  Redding  was  almost  entirely  disabled 
by  age  and  infirmities,  and  Bishop  Hamline,  though 
only  in  the  youth  of  old  age,  was  entirely  prostrated 
by  disease.  There  was  not  a  really  robust  man 
among  them.  But  they  were  inured  to  hardship. 

The  Board  of  Bishops,  at  their  meeting,  Decem- 
ber, 1850,  apprised  of  Bishop  Hamline's  physical 
condition,  made  out  the  plan  of  episcopal  visitation 
for  the  ensuing  year  so  as  provisionally  to  relieve 
him  of  all  the  Conferences.  Bishop  Janes,  secre- 
tary of  the  Board,  thus  writes  to  Bishop  Hamline  : 

This  plan  will  only  require  the  alteration  of  the  time  of  two 
or  three  of  the  Conferences  one  week,  and  will  not  burden 
either  of  your  colleagues.  .  .  .  You  need,  therefore,  have  no 
concern  about  your  Conferences  for  the  coming  season.  I  am 
confident  that  I  speak  the  feelings  and  sentiments  of  all  your 
colleagues  when  I  say  we  wish  you  to  make  your  health  the 
first  subject  of  your  care  and  attention.  Your  work  will  not 


140  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

be  left  to  suffer,  and  none  of  your  colleagues  will  suffer  for 
their  attention  to  it.  You  may,  therefore,  dismiss  all  anxiety 
on  that  subject.  I  hope  you  will  be  without  anxiety  on  any 
subject.  "  The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice."  All 
wisdom,  goodness,  and  power  are  his.  He  loves  Zion  infinitely 
more  than  we  can.  He  bought  the  Church  with  his  blood  ; 
he  will  preserve  it  by  his  power. 

Bishop  Hedding's  active  official  work  ended  on 
December  28,  1850.  The  entire  supervision  of  the 
Church  in  1851,  with  slight  exception,  fell  upon 
Bishops  Waugh,  Morris,  and  Janes.  Bishop  Ham- 
line,  by  slow  and  easy  stages,  reached  Winthrop, 
Me.,  the  seat  of  the  Maine  Conference,  and  presided 
about  half  the  time  at  its  sessions  and  fixed  the  ap- 
pointments. Even  this  exertion  greatly  injured 
him,  and  led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  he  could 
no  longer  sustain  the  cares  of  his  office. 

The  work  thus  devolved  upon  the  three  efficient 
Bishops  was  prodigious.  Besides  the  Conferences 
at  which  Bishop  Janes  assisted  he  held,  from  April 
2  to  September  17,  in  about  twenty-four  weeks, 
twelve  Conferences,  making  a  session  for  every 
consecutive  two  weeks,  and  constituting,  with  the 
travel  involved,  an  amount  of  labor  never  exceeded, 
I  believe,  in  the  annals  of  the  Church.  These  Con- 
ferences were  mostly  the  older  and  larger  ones  of 
the  connection.  They  embraced  not  less  than 
1,500  effective  ministers,  many  of  whom  were  of 
high  standing,  and  an  equal  number  of  Churches, 
a  large  proportion  of  which  were  of  great  social 


AT  THE  BALTIMORE  CONFERENCE.       141 

importance  ;  these  considerations  required  the  ut- 
most painstaking  and  correctness  of  administration. 
It  was  a  year  of  anxious  days  and  of  many,  very 
many,  sleepless  nights.  Yet  his  spirit  never  faltered, 
but  rose  with  the  occasion,  and  bore  him  on  with  a 
steady  and  sublime  energy  which  overcame  all  dif- 
ficulties. "  What  ought  to  be  done  can  and  must 
be  done,"  seemed  to  be  his  motto,  and  he  swept 
through  the  land  a  moral  hero.  The  wonder  is  that 
his  physical  nature  could  have  endured  such  con- 
tinuous strain ;  but  he  had  a  single  mind,  and  God 
was  with  him. 

The  first  time  the  writer  remembers  to  have  seen 
the  Bishop  was  this  spring,  1851,  at  the  session  of 
the  Baltimore  Conference,  at  Winchester,  Virginia. 
Bishop  Waugh  presided,  and  Bishop  Janes  assisted 
him.  I,  not  having  yet  attained  majority,  was 
there  a  candidate  for  admission.  He  preached  the 
sermon  on  Sunday  morning  on  Isaiah's  vision. 
Dr.  Foster,  of  New  York,  now  Bishop  Foster, 
preached  in  the  afternoon  on  "  Great  is  the  mystery 
of  godliness."  Both  sermons  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  the  audience  ;  but  I  have  never  forgotten 
nor  ceased  to  feel  the  burning  force  with  which  the 
Bishop  applied  to  the  preachers  the  question  of  the 
prophet,  "  Whom  shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go  for 
us  ?  "  and  the  answer,  "  Here  am  I  ;  send  me." 
Here  am  I ;  send  me,  rang  in  my  ears  and  conscience 
for  years  afterward.  I  was  ready,  as  I  thought,  to 


142  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

consent  on  the  spot  to  go  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
Twice  subsequently  I  heard  him  preach  from  the 
same  text,  and  while  the  effect  was  always  marked, 
it  never  reached  the  power  of  that  occasion. 
Something,  of  course,  may  be  due  to  the  most  im- 
pressible period  of  a  young  preacher's  life. 

Bishop  Janes's  first  Conference  this  spring  was 
the  Providence,  at  Warren,  R.  I.,  April  2,  1851. 
Then  followed  in  succession  the  New  Jersey,  New 
England,  New  York,  New  York  East,  Troy,  Ver- 
mont, East  Maine,  Black  River,  Oneida,  East  Gen- 
esee,  and  Genesee.  I  need  dwell  no  longer  on  this 
record  of  toil.  A  mark  was  left  on  the  Church,  and 
marks  were  left  which  could  ever  afterward  be  read 
in  the  junior  Bishop.  His  step  was  never  again  so 
elastic. 

But,  not  content  with  such  herculean  tasks  of 
immediate  episcopal  oversight,  his  soul  was  now 
ablaze  with  the  missionary  spirit  which  Dr.  Durbin, 
the  lately  appointed  Corresponding  Secretary  of 
the  Missionary  Society,  was  kindling  throughout 
the  Church.  He  had  scarcely  paused  long  enough 
with  his  family  to  be  refreshed  ere  he  was  off  with 
the  eloquent  secretary  on  a  Western  missionary 
tour.  The  Pacific  coast  was  pressing  for  mission- 
aries, and  men  and  money  must  be  raised  for  the 
new  populations  which  were  pouring  in  upon  it. 
Ministers  and  people  must  be  aroused.  From 
Wheeling,  Va.,  Nov.  20,  he  writes : 


MISSIONARY  TOUR.  143 

We  have  a  missionary  meeting  this  evening,  at  which  I  am 
to  make  an  address.  To-morrow  morning  we  take  the  stage 
for  Zanesville,  seventy-five  miles  from  here,  where  we  expect 
to  spend  the  Sabbath. 

Again,  Nov.  25,  writing  from  Columbus,  Ohio  : 

We  took  stage  for  Zanesville,  Ohio,  where  we  arrived  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  It  snowed  most  of  the  day,  and 
the  ride  was  rather  a  sorry  one.  We  had  in  the  stage  a  gar- 
rulous old  Quaker  lawyer,  who  repeated  to  us  his  poetry  and 
told  us  his  history,  and  enlivened  the  dull  scene  by  his  inces- 
sant talk.  I  had  some  good  religious  feelings  during  the  day. 
Saturday  was  laboriously  employed  writing  letters  to  mission- 
aries and  others.  On  Sunday  I  preached  twice  to  crowded 
audiences,  and  made  a  missionary  speech  of  forty  minutes. 
We  took  a  collection  of  upward  of  three  hundred  dollars.  The 
Lord  was  with  me  and  blessed  me  in  my  labors,  but  the  work 
was  too  hard.  I  went  to  bed  exhausted  and  restless  ;  slept 
some.  The  next  day  felt  as  if  I  had  had  a  fit  of  old  age.  Yet 
early  in  the  morning  took  stage  for  this  place.  ...  I  was  fa- 
vored with  a  good  sleep  last  night,  and  feel  much  recruited 
to-day.  We  are  to  have  a  missionary  meeting  here  to-night. 
The  preachers  say  that,  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the 
snow-storm,  we  shall  have  a  large  audience.  I  am  in  poor 
plight  to  make  a  speech.  I  shall  try  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
and  do  the  best  I  can.  The  missionary  cause  must  go  for- 
ward, and  somebody  must  push  it.  I  am  not  very  strong,  but 
I  have  got  my  shoulder  under  it  and  am  lifting  with  my  might. 
If  all  Christians  would  take  hold  with  their  combined  strength 
we  could  soon  carry  out  the  blessed  enterprise. 

Further,  from  Cincinnati,  Nov.  29 : 

We  had  a  good  missionary  meeting  at  Columbus.  The 
weather  was  very  bad,  but  we  had  a  good  congregation,  a 
spirited  meeting,  and  a  liberal  collection.  The  next  morning, 
before  day,  we  started  for  Springfield,  where  we  had  a  meet- 


144  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ing  at  tvvo'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  another  in  the  evening, 
Under  the  circumstances  they  were  good  meetings.  The  next 
day  we  went  to  Dayton,  where  we  had  a  large  and  useful 
meeting  at  night.  On  Friday  we  went  to  Hamilton,  where  we 
held  a  missionary  meeting  in  the  evening,  pretty  well  attended 
but  rather  dull.  To-day  we  came  to  this  city.  Thus  during 
the  week  I  have  had  seven  public  services,  most  of  them  large 
congregations  and  lengthy  exercises  ;  traveled  more  or  less 
every  day,  and  did  a  good  deal  of  correspondence.  A  rather 
hard  week's  work.  Yet  my  Master  has  taken  care  of  me,  and 
I  hope  not  to  sustain  any  injury  fro'm  it.  I  have  the  satisfac- 
tion of  believing  the  week  has  been  usefully  spent. 

Also  from  Cincinnati,  Dec.  5,  to  his  youngest 
daughter,  Matilda,  then  four  years  old  : 

Your  father  loves  you  very  much.  He  thinks  of  you  very 
often.  He  would  like  to  be  at  home  this  morning  to  get  a  kiss 
and  see  your  smile.  I  hope  you  have  kissed  your  mother  good- 
morning,  and  smiled  in  her  face  very  brightly,  I  expect  also 
you  have  kissed  your  brother  and  sisters,  and  said  good-morn- 
ing to  them  very  sweetly.  Have  you  talked  any  to  your  heav- 
enly Father  this  morning  ?  Matilda  must  never  forget  her 
prayers.  You  must  pray  for  yourself  and  your  absent  father. 
On  my  return  home  I  hope  to  get  a  very  sweet  kiss  from 
Matilda  Palmer  Janes  for  a  Christmas  present.  Will  you  have 
one  ready  for  me — a  good  one,  with  a  sweet  smile  ? 

To  Mrs.  Janes  he  writes  from  Indianapolis  a  day 
or  two  afterward  : 

...  I  am  at  the  most  distant  point  in  my  tour.  All  my 
movements  now  will  be  homeward.  Yet  I  cannot  tell  how 
direct  or  how  fast  I  may  be  able  to  make  them.  Conse- 
quently, I  cannot  tell  how  soon  I  may  be  able  to  see  home  and 
rejoice  in  your  smiles.  I  still  expect  to  be  at  home  by  or  before 
Christmas.  My  missionary  appointments  are  nearly  all  to  be 


DEATH  OF  DR.  OLIN.  145 

made  yet.  I  have  been  getting  information  and  receiving  offers 
but  have  only  determined  one  appointment.  The  business  of 
making  missionary  appointments  is  too  important  to  be  done 
hastily.  I  have  replied  to  the  letters  you  sent  me  containing 
invitations  to  dedicate  churches,  etc.  I  preached  yesterday 
about  heaven,  and  the  way  to  obtain  it.  I  enjoyed  the  subject 
myself,  but  cannot  say  whether  it  did  any  one  else  any  good 
or  not.  I  hope  it  did. 

About  the  middle  of  August  of  this  year,  between 
the  sessions  of  the  Oneida  and  East  Genesee  Con- 
ferences, Bishop  Janes  was  called  to  Middletown, 
Conn.,  by  the  illness  and  death  of  Dr.  Stephen 
Olin,  the  President  of  Wesleyan  University.  With 
all  the  burdens  of  the  year  none  rested  so  heavily 
upon  him  as  the  loss  of  this  eminent  servant  of 
God.  He  was  subsequently  often  heard  to  re- 
vert to  one  of  Dr.  Olin's  dying  expressions  as  of 
deep  significance  and  much  comfort  to  himself: 
"  Bishop,  I  shall  be  saved.  I  love  God.  I  love  the 
good,  and  I  cannot  go  any  where  else  than  where 
the  good  are."  The  Rev.  Fales  H.  Newhall,  D.D., 

o 

in  a  communication  which  appeared  years  after- 
ward in  "  Zion's  Herald,"  thus  refers,  to  the  funeral 
services  of  Dr.  Olin  : 

What  a  funeral  was  that !  On  the  altar  before  the  pulpit 
the  fallen  monarch  lay,  and  we  sat  in  the  pews,  crushed,  stifled 
with  the  vastness  of  our  loss,  too  bewildered  to  weep.  Emi- 
nent ministers  ascended  the  pulpit,  and  spoke  and  read  and 
prayed ;  but  who  they  were,  or  what  they  said,  I  do  not  re- 
member now,  I  only  remember  that  their  speech  was  para- 
lyzed— they  seemed  embarrassed  by  Olin  in  his  coffin  !  Then 


146  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Bishop  Janes  arose,  and  as  he  cast  one  look  on  the  face  of  the 
dead,  then  glanced  upward,  then  looked  steadily  into  our  dry 
eyes,  I  saw  the  man  for  the  hour  had  come,  and  I  trembled  for 
joy — that  the  Moses  who  could  smite  the  rock  which  lay  on 
our  hearts  and  make  the  waters  gush  forth  had  come  at  last. 
He  lifted  his  rod  and  we  wept  together. 

Mrs.  Janes,  writing  to  her  husband  at  Penn  Yan, 
New  York,  under  date  of  August  19,  thus  alludes 
to  the  death  of  Dr.  Olin  : 

We  have  just  received  your  letter  from  Middletown.  .  .  .  My 
heart  feels  very  sorrowful  at  the  removal  of  Dr.  Olin.  I  felt 
an  interest  in  him  and  affection  for  him  deeper  than  toward 
any  other  of  our  ministers.  As  I  have  just  heard  of  his  death, 
my  feelings  have  not  yet  settled  down.  I  wish  he  could  have 
lived  longer.  I  was  just  thinking  of  Dr.  Olin's  saying,  "The 
old  foundation."  I  suppose  he  referred  to  the  verse,  "  Other 
foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ." 

In  the  administration  during  the  year,  Bishop 
Janes,  in  the  absence  of  Bishop  Waugh  in  the  far 
West,  who  was  responsible  for  the  Philadelphia  ap- 
pointments, was  obliged  to  fill  a  vacancy  created 
by  the  death  of  one  of  the  ministers.  He  did  so  by 
assigning  the  Rev.  George  W.  M'Laughlan,  who 
had  only  that  year  been  admitted  on  trial,  to  the 
vacant  charge.  The  letter  he  wrote  on  that  occa- 
sion to  Mr.  M'Laughlan  is  so  characteristic  that  I 
cannot  refrain  from  its  publication.  Possibly  it  may 
help  some  other  young  inexperienced  minister. 

The  decease  of  our  lamented  brother,  Rev.  Daniel  Shield, 
pastor  of  the  Salem  Church  in  this  city,  has  made  it  necessary 


LETTERS  TO  YOUNG  MINISTERS.         147 

to  appoint  some  one  to  fill  the  vacancy.  At  this  period  in  the 
conference  year  we  find  it  extremely  difficult  to  do  so,  espe- 
cially as  it  is  necessary  to  give  them  a  single  man,  as  they  can- 
not provide  for  a  married  man  and  the  family  of  the  deceased. 
We  think  we  can  supply  your  place  at  Halifax  Circuit  accept- 
ably and  usefully.  We  have  therefore  concluded  to  remove 
you  to  Salem  Church,  in  Philadelphia.  You  will  come  on  to 
the  city  in  time  to  preach  for  them  on  the  ipth  inst.  In  the 
administration  of  the  Discipline  be  careful  to  consult  your  pre- 
siding elder.  You  will  do  well  to  advise  with  him  about  all 
your  plans  and  arrangements.  I  would  recommend  to  you  to 
change  with  the  preachers  stationed  in  the  city  frequently 
probably  once  each  Sabbath.  It  is  desirable  you  should  give 
special  attention  to  pastoral  visiting.  Be  prudent ;  be  humble; 
be  modest ;  be  prayerful ;  be  holy.  Let  no  man  despise  thy 
youth.  Jesus — holiness — usefulness — heaven. 

On  his  return  from  the  tour  for  the  promotion  of 
the  missionary  cause  before  alluded  to,  he  addressed 
a  letter  to  the  Rev.  H.  C.  Benson,  then  Professor 
of  the  Greek  Language  and  Literature  in  the  Indi- 
ana Asbury  University,  at  Greencastle,  Indiana,  in 
reference  to  his  transfer  to  the  Oregon  and  Cali- 
fornia Mission  Conference: 

...  I  am  pleased  with  the  sentiment  and  spirit  of  your  letter. 
...  In  my  judgment  a  short  life  in  that  new  and  rapidly  rising 
country  is  worth  more  than  a  long  one  in  an  old-established 
Conference.  The  work  there  is  mission  work — hard  work — in- 
volving sacrifice  and  suffering,  but  it  has  pay  for  just  such 
service,  both  while  being  performed  and  in  heaven.  The  man 
who  goes  to  that  country  lays  the  foundation  of  the  Church,  he 
does  not  build  on  another  man's  foundation.  If  you  conclude 
to  go  it  is  important  that  you  go  as  soon  as  possible.  Days 
here  are  months  in  California  at  this  time.  Reasons  which 
I  cannot  mention  make  it  extremely  desirable  you  should  sail  at 


148  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

the  earliest  hour  possible.     Will  you  let  me  hear  from  you  at 
your  earliest  convenience  ;  if  possible  by  return  of  mail. 

Mr.  Benson  writes  from  San  Francisco,  Decem- 
ber 5,  1877: 

I  answered  the  letter,  was  notified  of  my  appointment  to  the 
work  in  California  by  telegram,  and  on  January  26,  1852,  I  left 
with  my  family  for  New  York,  en  route  for  the  Pacific.  We 
arrived  on  February  14,  1852,  and  have  remained  to  the  present 
in  the  work  here. 


DEATH  OF  BISHOP  REDDING.  149 


CHAPTER  IX. 

1852,  1853. 

Death  of  Bishop  Hedding — General  Conference  at  Boston — The 
Far  West  Again. 

IN  the  spring  of  1852  it  fell  to  Bishop  Janes  to 
preside  at  the  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New 
Jersey  Conferences.  A  little  incident  at  the  ses- 
sion of  the  Baltimore  Conference,  at  Cumberland, 
March  3-11,  showed  something  of  the  nervous 
decision  which  so  distinguished  him.  A  package 
of  the  New  York  "  Christian  Advocate "  had  ar- 
rived, and  some  one  was  taking  the  papers  up  the 
aisles  to  the  tables  within  the  altar  rail,  and  the 
preachers,  rising  from  their  seats,  began  reaching 
and  grasping  for  the  papers.  The  Bishop  springing 
to  his  feet  and  clapping  his  hands,  excitedly  cried, 
"Brethren!  brethren!  this  will  never  do!"  His 
call  quieted  them  in  an  instant.  He  did  not  preach 
at  the  Conference,  but  yielded  the  pulpit  on  Sunday 
morning  to  Rev.  Dr.  J.  P.  Durbin. 

About  the  last  of  March,  in  company  with  the 
Rev.  George  Peck,  D.D.,  he  made  his  last  pilgrim- 
age to  the  bedside  of  Bishop  Hedding.  He  vener- 
ated Bishop  Hedding  as  a  father.  His  admiration 

for  him  was  unbounded.     If  one  wished  to  induce 

7* 


150  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Bishop  Janes  to  talk,  it  was  only  necessary  to  ask 
his  opinion  of  Bishop  Hedding.  He  would  dilate 
most  enthusiastically  upon  his  excellences — his  pro- 
found and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, his  full  and  varied  attainments,  his  judgment 
of  human  nature,  his  statesmanlike  comprehension, 
the  tenderness  of  his  sensibilities,  the  fervor  of  his 
piety,  and  the  childlike  simplicity  of  his  manners 
— right  along,  with  a  fluency  which  he  seldom  in- 
dulged in. 

He  was  presiding  in  the  New  Jersey  Conference, 
Trenton,  New  Jersey,  when  he  heard  of  the  Bishop's 
death.  Chained  to  his  seat,  unable  to  hasten  to  the 
house  of  mourning  as  he  wished,  he  thus  addressed 
Mrs.  Hedding: 

Most  deeply  do  I  sympathize  with  you  in  this  bereavement. 
Few  women  ever  had  such  a  husband,  consequently  few  women 
can  suffer  such  a  bereavement.  It  must  be  a  cause  of  thank- 
fulness and  pleasing  remembrance  that  you  were  privileged  so 
long  to  enjoy  the  companionship  of  so  excellent  and  so  great  a 
man.  Fellowship  and  conjugal  intimacy  with  such  a  noble 
mind,  and  such  a  Christian  spirit,  for  so  long  a  time,  is  a  priv- 
ilege few  mortals  ever  enjoy.  You  have  been  greatly  blessed 
of  God  in  your  domestic  relations.  ...  I  regret  most  deeply 
that*  I  cannot  be  present  at  the  funeral.  It  would  have  been  a 
melancholy  but  great  privilege,  but  such  are  the  circumstances 
of  the  Conference  that  I  cannot  safely  leave.  I  have  tele- 
graphed Bishop  Waugh,  who  answers  he  will  attend  the 
funeral. 

The  eleventh  delegated  General  Conference  as- 
sembled in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  May  i,  1852. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AT  BOSTON.      151 

There  were  present  Bishops  Waugh,  Morris,  and 
Janes.  Bishop  Redding,  the  senior  Bishop,  had 
died,  and  Bishop  Hamline  was  detained  by  sick- 
ness. The  Church,  notwithstanding  all  its  agita- 
tions, had  increased  in  the  past  quadrennium  well 
nigh  90,000  members.  The  work  of  conservation 
and  development  was  going  forward  throughout  all 
its  borders.  Here  and  there  little  local  excitements 
and  divisions  had  occurred,  but  nothing  to  retard 
the  general  progress. 

The  Bishops,  in  their  Address  to  the  General 
Conference,  laid  especial  stress  upon  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  Episcopacy  and  the  plan  of  General 
Superintendency,  as  essential  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  also  advised  the  re-enforcement 
of  their  numbers  by  trie  choice  of  "men  who 
have  given  indubitable  proof  that,  in  addition  to 
deep  piety  and  burning  zeal,  they  both  know  and 
love  Methodist  doctrine  and  Methodist  discipline- 
brethren  who  will  'wholly  give  themselves  to  the 
office.' " 

The  policy  of  the  Church  on  the  subject  of 
"  pewed  "  houses  of  worship,  which  came  up  on  an 
appeal  from  a  decision  of  the  Ohio  Conference,  was 
so  far  changed  as  to  allow  the  erection  of  such 
houses  while  leaving  the  rule  in  favor  of  "  free " 
churches. 

The  missions  of  the  Church  passed  in  review, 
and  the  celebrated  chapter  on  missions,  mainly 


152  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

drawn  up  by  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Durbin,  D.D.,  was 
adopted.  This  chapter,  which  makes  it  the  duty 
of  the  pastor  to  supervise,  through  a  committee  of 
which  he  fs  chairman,  the  missionary  cause  in  his 
charge,  first  gave  organic  form  and  stable  success 
to  the  great  missionary  movement  of  the  Church. 

Bishop  Hamline  felt  constrained,  on  account  of 
protracted  disease  hopelessly  disqualifying  him  for 
his  duties,  to  resign  the  office  of  Bishop.  After 
some  discussion  the  resignation  was  accepted  by  a 
vote  of  161  yeas  to  10  nays.  Two  reasons  seemed 
to  control  this  vote:  first,  it  was  the  opinion  of 
those  who  knew  the  condition  of  Bishop  Hamline 
most  intimately,  that  he  must,  in  order  to  recov- 
ery, be  released  not  only  from  the  work,  but  from 
the  thought  and  care,  of  the  office ;  and,  secondly, 
that  the  opportunity  was  a  suitable  one  in  which 
to  forever  settle,  if  there  had  been  any  doubt,  the 
doctrine  of  the  Church  in  relation  to  its  Episcopacy, 
that  it  is  an  office  and  not  an  order.  Consequently, 
when  the  resignation  of  Bishop  Hamline  was  ac- 
cepted, and  his  parchments  of  episcopal  consecra- 
tion were  returned,  he  ceased  at  once  to  be  a  Bishop, 
and  he  was  relegated  to  membership  as  an  elder 
in  the  Ohio  Conference.  The  General  Conference 
thus  unqualifiedly  sustained  the  action  of  its  prede- 
cessor in  1844,  in  suspending  Bishop  Andrew,  and 
declared  its  judgment  as  to  its  plenary  power  to 
unmake  a  Bishop  when  there  may  be  a  disqualifica- 


RESIGNATION  OF  BISHOP  HAMLINE.      153 

tion  for  the  office,  even  though  the  disqualification 
may  not  affect  the  moral  character. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Hibbard,  the  biographer  of  Bishop 
Hamline,  in  concluding  his  presentation  of  this 
epoch  of  the  Bishop's  life,  says  : 

There  was  a  moral  grandeur  in  the  act  of  Bishop  Hamline 
in  resigning,  of  great  significance  ;  and  while  the  Church  re- 
gretted the  fact,  they  approved  the  principle  involved  in  it. 
The  right  to  resign,  and  of  General  Conference  to  accept,  was 
according  to  the  doctrine  of  Wesley,  of  Asbury,  and  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  ;  and  no  act  simply  ecclesiastical 
has  ever  occurred  in  the  history  of  our  Church  of  broader  im- 
port or  more  decisive  influence  upon  its  polity  in  the  generation 
to  come.* 

Bishop  Morris  writes  to  Bishop  Hamline,  July  27  : 

I  never  doubted  the  doctrine  that  a  Methodist  Bishop  in 
good  standing  might  resign  his  office,  that  the  General  Confer- 
ence might  accept  it  and  allow  him  to  return  to  the  ranks  of 
the  eldership  for  an  appointment,  or  for  such  relation  as  his 
health  required.! 

In  the  letter  of  sympathy  which  the  Bishops 
wrote  to  Bishop  Hamline,  evidently  composed  by 
Bishop  Janes,  as  his  name  is  signed  first  in  order, 
is  this  language  : 

In  performing  this  duty  we  take  occasion  to  join  with  the 
General  Conference  in  expressing  our  "  profound  regret  "  that 
Bishop  Hamline's  health  has  led  him  to  feel  it  necessary  to 
tender  to  the  General  Conference  his  resignation  of  the  epis- 
copal office.  ...  Be  assured,  reverend  and  dear  brother,  that 

*  "  Biography  of  Rev.  L.  L.  Hamline,  D.D.,"  p.  369. 
f  Ibid.,  p.  369. 


154  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

in  retiring  from  the  Episcopacy  you  bear  with  you  our  high 
esteem,  our  warm  fraternal  affections,  and  our  best  wishes  for 
your  future  welfare. 

That  Bishop  Janes  himself  believed  in  the  privi- 
lege of  resigning  the  office  subsequently  appears 
in  a  letter  in  which  he  expresses  serious  thoughts 
of  tendering  his  own  resignation.  Writing  to  Mrs. 
Janes,  from  Baltimore,  March  9,  1855,  after  speak- 
ing of  the  imperative  nature  of  the  duties  of  his 
office,  the  pain  of  almost  constant  separation  from 
his  family,  of  his  great  affection  and  concern  for  his 
children,  he  adds : 

But,  painfully  as  I  regret  this,  I  know  of  but  one  way  to  re- 
lieve the  affliction,  namely,  to  resign  my  office.  This  I  have 
strongly  desired  to  do  ever  since  I  became  acquainted  with  its 
duties  and  the  losses  sustained  by  my  family.  Poorly  as  I  feel 
myself  qualified  for  the  office,  such  has  been  the  condition  of 
the  Church  ever  since  my  election,  and  such  the  state  of  the 
Episcopal  Board,  that  I  have  felt  I  could  not  resign  without 
doing  great  injury  to  the  Church.  I  have,  on  this  point,  sev- 
eral times  advised  confidentially  with  some  of  the  wisest  men 
in  the  Church,  and  they  have  uniformly  assured  me  that  my 
resignation  would  be  extensively  harmful  to  the  interests  of 
the  Church.  This  only  has  restrained  me.  The  office  has  no 
charms  for  me.  I  do  not  love  power.  I  never  use  any  more 
than  I  am  obliged  to.  Public  life  has  for  me  no  attractions. 
Quiet  domestic  life  interests  me  much  more.  You  know  I 
was  unexpectedly,  when  a  comparatively  young  man,  elected 
to  this  most  fearfully  responsible  office.  I  had  never  had  any 
practical  knowledge  of  the  duties  of  the  office.  I  had  never 
been  in  the  council  of  a  Bishop.  I  had  never  been  a  member 
of  the  General  Conference.  The  unsought  and  unexpected 
election  made  me  feel  that  I  was  providentially  called  to  the 


ELECTION  OF  ADDITIONAL  BISHOPS.      155 

office — that  it  was  according  to  the  will  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  that  I  should  serve  his  Church  in  this  position.  This 
conviction  only  makes  the  office  to  me  endurable.  I  have 
thought  much  of  resigning  at  the  next  General  Conference.  I 
foresee  that  the  next  session  of  this  body  will  be  a  troubled 
one.  It  will  be  necessary  for  all  the  friends  of  the  Church  to 
employ  all  their  influence  to  promote  harmony.  What  I  may 
find  consistent  at  the  time  I  cannot  judge  now.  It  would  be 
an  inexpressible  satisfaction  to  me  to  be  relieved  from  the  of- 
fice. But  I  cannot  consent  to  resign  when  there  is  a  proba- 
bility of  doing  lasting  injury  to  the  institutions  of  our  Church. 
...  I  submit  to  it  as  a  sacrifice  for  Christ,  as  a  necessity  in 
fulfilling  the  ministry  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  General  Conference,  in  accordance  with  the 
recommendation  of  the  Bishops,  on  the  twenty-fifth 
day  of  the  session  proceeded  to  the  election  of  four 
additional  Bishops.  On  the  first  ballot,  "  Levi 
Scott,  Matthew  Simpson,  Osmon  C.  Baker,  and 
Edward  R.  Ames,  having  received  a  majority  of  all 
the  votes,  were  declared  duly  elected  Bishops  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church." 

Here  is  the  only  scrap  of  a  personal  letter  extant 
of  this  long  absence  from  home.  It  is  to  little 
Tillie,  written  from  the  conference  room,  May  31  : 

I  wish  you  good-morning.  I  hope  you  are  bright  and  happy 
and  loving  and  obedient  this  morning.  Have  you  said  your 
prayers  ?  I  hope  you  never  forget  your  prayers,  morning  or 
evening.  Your  Father  in  heaven  will  not  love  you  unless  you 
pray.  Have  you  kissed  mamma  this  morning  ?  I  think  all  of 
mamma's  little  daughters  should  kiss  her,  with  a  smile,  every 
morning  and  evening.  I  think  papa  is  entitled  to  such  a  kiss 
also  when  he  is  at  home  ;  but  he  does  not  always  get  it. 
Perhaps  a  better  day  is  coming,  however. 


156  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

The  Bishop's  first  Annual  Conference  after  the 
adjournment  of  the  General  Conference  was  the 
Troy,  at  Plattsburgh,  N.  Y.,  June  16-21. 

From  Plattsburgh,  N.  Y.,  to  Dr.  Durbin,  June  24  : 

I  have  written  Bishop  Waugh,  and  advised  him  to  send  five 
men  to  California  and  five  to  Oregon.  .  .  .  Possibly  more  than 
I  have  recommended  will  be  needed.  One  certainly  is  On  his 
way  across  the  country,  Hurlbut  from  the  Iowa  Conference, 
an  able  minister.  I  have  no  doubt  others  who  have  decided 
to  go  will  reach  there  in  a  few  months.  I  think  we  cannot 
judge  so  well  now  as  three  months  hence.  I  also  approve  of 
sending  to  China  a  man  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  our  mission  there 
occasioned  by  the  death  of  Brother  Collins. 

You  will  please  to  write  to  me  just  as  freely  on  the  subject 
of  missionary  interests  as  though  I  were  still  in  charge  of  for- 
eign missions.  I  shall  always  feel  a  pleasure  in  rendering  you 
any  aid  that  may  be  in  my  power. 

After  the  close  of  the  Troy  Conference  he  en- 
joyed a  short  respite  at  Mount  Wesley.  But  with 
the  frequent  engagements  to  preach,  to  meet  com- 
mittees in  New  York,  and  with  the  mass  of  corre- 
spondence pressing  upon  him,  there  was  little  vaca- 
tion. Still  he  made  the  utmost  of  the  bare  oppor- 
tunity of  being  at  home.  By  the  last  of  August  he 
was  again  off  to  the  West.  The  pleasant  message 
which  quickly  follows  him  from  Mrs.  Janes  is,  "  I 
freight  this  little  note  with  a  weight  of  love  ;  it  is 
laden  with  anxious  tenderness  and  confiding,  grate- 
ful emotions." 

From  Zanesville,  Ohio,  the  seat  of  the  Ohio 
Conference,  he  writes,  September  3,  to  his  son  : 


LETTERS  TO  HIS  CHILDREN.  157 

I  am  sorry  my  son  should  ever  feel  any  embarrassment  in 
telling  me  his  mind  on  any  subject.  I  have  always  wished  that 
our  children  should  feel  that  their  parents  are  their  best 
friends.  No  other  person  can  possibly  feel  such  an  interest  in 
their  happiness  as  we  feel.  .  .  .  We  know  how  great  is  the 
danger  of  their  being  deceived  by  the  appearances  of  the  world. 
...  A  good  beginning  is  important  to  every  great  undertak- 
ing. How  all-important  it  must  be,  then,  that  we  commence 
our  earthly  history  aright — that  the  morning  of  life  be  a  bright 
one  !  How  essential  that  the  great  plan  of  life  be  well  laid, 
and  all  our  means  of  prosecuting  it  properly  selected  !  We 
cannot  accomplish  great  things  by  a  careless  and  irregular 
pursuit  of  them.  They  must  be  determined  upon  and  pursued 
earnestly  and  perseveringly.  Neither  can  we  become  good  by 
chance  or  accident,  or  even  by  occasional  and  feeble  desire  and 
effort.  Excellence  of  character  is  an  attainment.  In  view  of 
our  depravity  and  temptations,  a  difficult  attainment.  It  can 
be  reached,  but  it  must  be  struggled  for,  pressed  after,  aspired 
to.  Real  moral  excellence  can  only  be  attained  religiously — 
through  Christ — by  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  No  other 
power  can  make  us  pure  and  good. 

How  playful  as  well  as  instructive  the  Bishop 
could  be,  and  that  often  in  the  very  midst  of  the 
business  cares  and  perplexities  of  the  conference 
room,  the  following  letters  to  his  children  will 
strikingly  show.  The  first  is  to  Elizabeth,  from 
Chillicothe,  Ohio,  en  route  for  the  Cincinnati  Con- 
ference, September  12  : 

Go,  little  pale-faced  messenger,  with  all  the  speed  of  the 
iron  horse,  to  Mount  Wesley,  the  habitation  of  my  cherished 
ones,  and  say  to  my  beloved  daughter  Elizabeth  that  her  lov- 
ing, absent  father  remembers  her  tenderly,  and  sends  to  her 
paternal  salutation  and  blessing,  desiring  and  praying  that  she 


158  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

may  be  good  and  useful  and  happy  all  the  days  of  her  life. 
Further  inform  her,  that  her  father  is  in  usual  health  and  as 
happy  as  he  can  well  be  while  separated  from  those  he  most 
loves  and  delights  in.  Also  ask  Elizabeth  to  certify  to  her 
mamma  that  I  have  received  her  letter  of  the  6th  instant,  and 
am  thankful  to  her  for  the  same.  Also,  that  my  heart  is  full 
of  grateful,  admiring  love. 

Mr.  Messenger,  also  present  to  her  my  compliments,  and 
ask  her  to  give  her  brother  a  sweet  kiss  and  a  bright  smile, 
and  to  assure  him  of  his  father's  love  and  prayers.  Another 
errand  of  love,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Messenger.  Elizabeth  has 
two  sisters,  who,  like  herself,  are  very  tenderly  beloved  by 
their  father,  and  he  wishes  her  to  tell  them  this,  and  seal  the 
declaration  with  a  really  loving  sisterly  kiss.  Now,  Mr.  Mes- 
senger, I  wish  you  to  remain  and  see  that  all  these  matters 
are  duly  attended  to,  and  then,  with  the  untiring  iron  horse, 
return  and  report  to  me,  bringing  also  an  account  of  the  health 
and  happiness  of  the  loved  ones.  You  will  find  me,  on  your 
return,  at  Xenia,  Ohio.  Mr.  Messenger,  you  will  now  imme- 
diately depart. 

To  Tillie : 

Pet !  pet !  who  has  so  sweet  a  pet  as  I  ?  O,  you  little  pet ! 
I  wish  I  could  see  you  this  morning.  Have  you  thought  of  pa 
this  morning?  He  has  thought  of  you  many  times  already. 
I  would  very  much  like  to  have  you  put  your  little  tiny  arms 
around  my  neck  and  kiss  me.  I  think  you  would  do  it  if  I 
were  present  with  you.  I  hope  you  have  a  loving  time  at 
home.  Indeed,  I  expect  it  is  all  loving  time  with  mamma  and 
brother  and  sisters.  And  I  guess  I  am  thought  of  once  in 
awhile,  and  loved  a  little,  too. 

To  Lewis,  from  Xenia,  Ohio,  Sept.  21,  1852: 

MY  DEAR  EkOJllL."  SON  :  In  the  word  I  have  just  crossed 
out  you  see  the  power  of  habit.  I  am  so  accustomed  to  writing 
fraternal  letters  that,  involuntarily,  I  commenced  this  letter  as 


LETTERS.  159 

such,  though  it  is  intended  to  be  a  paternal  one.  An  admoni- 
tion to  be  very  careful  to  form  good  habits.  I  hope  I  shall 
profit  by  it.  It  is  wisdom  to  turn  every  thing,  great  and  small, 
to  good  account. 

From  St.  Louis,  October  11,  to  Tillie: 

Your  pretty  letter,  with  its  twenty  sweet  kisses,  was  received 
on  Saturday.  The  kisses  are  very  sweet.  I  thank  you  for 
them.  I  am  sorry  the  oxen  were  so  naughty  as  to  eat  up  the 
cabbages.  I  am  pleased  that  you  have  had  so  many  nice  din- 
ners from  the  Slicer  beans !  I  hope  you  have  saved  some 
good  ones  to  plant  next  year.  I  am  obliged  to  Lizzie  for  giv- 
ing you  a  nice  ride  in  the  hand-cart. 

I  still  consider  you  my  pet,  and  I  hope  you  will  always  be  so 
good  that  I  shall  always  be  happy  to  call  you  my  pet.  .  .  . 

I  would  put  some  kisses  into  this  letler  for  you,  only  I  am 
now  in  the  chair  of  Conference,  and  I  cannot  kiss  it  without 
having  the  whole  Conference  see  me.  I  don't  know  but  they 
would  laugh  at  me  if  they  saw  me  packing  up  kisses  in  a  letter. 
So  you  must  let  me  keep  them  and  bring  them  when  I  come. 
They  will  keep  all  their  sweetness. 

From  Pittsburgh,  October  19,  homeward,  he  writes 
to  Mrs.  Janes : 

A  kind  Providence  has  brought  me  thus  far  on  my  way 
home.  I  go  from  here  to  Bellefont  to  dedicate  a  church  next 
Sunday,  and  shall  then  hasten  home  with  all  the  speed  I  can 
make.  My  conference  business  on  the  tour  has  been  very 
satisfactorily  arranged.  I  have  no  special  anxieties  about  any 
part  of  it.  I  have  taken  time  to  do  it  deliberately,  and  now 
leave  it  with  my  Master.  .  .  . 

Writing  to  Lewis  and  Charlotte,  at  Wilbraham, 
Massachusetts,  in  February  of  the  year  1853,  we 
ascertain  that  he  was  at  home  suffering  from  an 
obstinate  cough. 


160  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Your  letters  of  the  28th  inst.  were  received  night  before  last. 
We  were  greatly  delighted  to  hear  from  you,  and  to  learn  of 
your  continued  good  health  and  continued  interest  in  your  lit- 
erary pursuits.  Tillie,  especially,  was  exceedingly  pleased  with 
her  brother's  letter.  It  made  her  little  eyes  sparkle  and  her 
laugh  ring  again. 

I  am  quite  unwell.  Have  been  confined  at  home  for  more 
than  a  week ;  have  my  old  cough  again.  I  hope  to  be  better 
soon,  if  it  is  the  good  pleasure  of  my  heavenly  Father.  His 
will  is  always  good. 

Ten  days  later : 

My  health  is  somewhat  improved,  though  I  go  out  but  lit- 
tle. .  .  .  We  expect  you  to  come  at  vacation.  We  think  it  will 
be  a  pleasure  to  you,  and  we  wish  to  see  you  very  much.  .  .  . 
Hate  sin — fear  God — love  the  Saviour.  Be  prayerful,  and  im- 
prove both  heart  and  mind  with  diligence. 

Bishop  Janes  began  his  presidency  of  the  Con- 
ferences in  the  spring  of  1853  with  the  Providence 
Conference,  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  April  13.  Then 
followed  in  succession  the  New  England,  the  New 
Hampshire,  the  Maine,  the  East  Maine,  the  East 
Genesee,  the  Cincinnati,  and  the  Kentucky — the 
last  closing  its  first  session  as  a  distinct  Conference 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  October  17.  Not  waiting,  however,  for  his 
own  Conferences,  he  hastened  to  the  assistance  of 
Bishop  Morris,  at  the  Philadelphia  Conference,  Har- 
risburgh,  Pennsylvania,  March  23-30.  Thence  he 
writes  Mrs.  Janes : 

The  Conference  is  progressing  pleasantly.  Much  difficulty, 
however,  is  anticipated  in  making  the  appointments.  Ni  one 


FORTY-SIXTH  BIRTHDAY.  161 

but  those  who  have  to  make  these  appointments  can  imagine 
a  tithe  of  these  difficulties,  or  the  cares,  anxieties,  and  mental 
labors  of  those  who  have  this  work  to  perform.  God  loves  the 
Church.  He  purchased  it  with  his  blood.  He  has  preserved 
it  by  his  power.  This  is  my  hope  for  the  Church — "  God  loves 
the  gates  of  Zion."  Her  interests  therefore  are  safe. 

With  the  first  swelling  of  the  buds  he  settled  his 
family  at  Mount  Wesley,  and  was  forthwith  off  to 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  the  place  of  meeting  for  the 
Providence  Conference.  Writing  home  on  April  14, 
he  says : 

I  reached  New  York  on  Saturday  morning.  Gave  my  first 
attention  to  the  lost  trunks.  ...  On  Thursday  I  came  to 
this  place  by  way  of  Boston.  When  in  Boston  I  went  to  see 
Brother  Trafton,*  who  has  lost  his  little  son  named  "  Edmund 
Janes."  He  died  of  scarlet  fever.  His  two  little  brothers  have 
had  the  disease  and  recovered.  His  only  daughter,  about 
twelve  years  old,  was  very  ill  with  the  fever  when  I  was  there. 
The  doctor  thought  her  symptoms  better.  Brother  Trafton 
himself  was  also  very  sick  with  the  fever,  but  was  getting 
better. 

The  Bishop  passed  his  forty-sixth  birth-day  at 
the  session  of  the  New  England  Conference,  Ips- 
wich, Mass.,  April  2;-May  3,  1853.  He  thus  al- 
ludes to  it  and  the  Conference  in  a  letter  to  his 
wife  : 

Yesterday  was  my  fo.rty-sixth  birth-day.  In  the  midst  of 
my  many  and  urgent  duties  I  had  some  profitable  reflections. 
I  endeavored  to  obtain  a  few  minutes  to  write  you  a  line,  but 
the  incessant  duties  of  the  first  day  of  Conference  prevented 
until  the  adjournment  of  my  council,  at  one  o'clock  at  night, 

*  The  Rev.  Mark  Trafton. 


162  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

when  my  lamp  burned  so  dim  and  my  eyes  were  so  tired,  I 
could  not  write,  and  so  I  spent  an  hour  in  meditation  and 
prayer,  and  retired  to  rest.  I  made  an  address  to  the  Confer- 
ence of  considerable  length  this  morning  on  the  subject  of  the 
ministry.  The  Holy  Spirit  gave  me  utterance.  Much  feeling 
was  manifest  at  the  time.  These  Conference  sessions  are 
grave  occasions.  The  responsibilities  of  a  presiding  officer, 
who  is  expected  not  only  to  give  direction  to  business,  but  also 
tone  to  sentiment  and  feeling,  and  propriety  to  manner  and 
matter  of  discussion,  is  very  great.  My  sufficiency  is  of  God. 

On  May  14,  from  Newport,  N.  H.,  the  seat  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Conference,  he  writes  to  his 
son  : 

Regular  study  each  day,  and  not  a  little  one  day  and  a  long 
time  the  next  day,  is  important.  ...  I  hope  the  siren  of  tran- 
sient pleasure  will  not  be  allowed  to  divert  you  from  the  up-hill 
and  rugged  path  of  science.  Flowers  are  by  the  way-side,  but 
ripened  and  luscious  fruits  are  on  the  summit.  Struggle  up, 
then.  Disregard  present  petty  indulgences;  press  after  the 
life-enduring  pleasures  and  benefits  of  a  thorough  education, 
of  an  enlightened  and  disciplined  mind.  These  will  pay,  a 
thousand  times  over,  all  the  self-denial  and  struggle  and  labor 
required  to  make  the  high  attainment. 

The  following  letter  from  Biddeford,  Me.,  May 
25,  showing  the  Bishop's  perseverance  in  making  a 
railroad  train,  illustrates  a  trait  well  understood  by 
those  who  knew  him  intimately : 

I  reached  Boston  at  half  past  four  o'clock  P.  M.  The  cars 
for  this  place  started  at  five  o'clock.  I  had  to  cross  the  city. 
I  went  out  to  a  hack  and  engaged  the  driver  to  take  me  right 
off  to  the  depot.  But  when  he  got  me  seated  he  slipped  off  to 
find  other  passengers.  I  sat  uneasily  ten  minutes  waiting  for 


LETTERS  FROM  MAINE.  163 

j 

him.  As  he  did  not  come  I  went  after  him.  He  then  told  me 
very  coolly  that  I  could  not  reach  the  train.  I  said  to  him, 
"  I  must."  1  seized  my  traveling-bag,  ran  into  the  street,  saw 
a  cab  going  off.  I  chased  it  a  ways,  but  could  not  overhaul  it. 
I  then  turned  almost  in  despair,  when  I  saw  a  cab  coming 
down  another  street  toward  the  depot.  I  ran  to  it  and  told 
the  cabman  if  he  would  drive  me  to  the  Eastern  Railroad  depot 
in  fifteen  minutes  I  would  pay  him  double  fare.  He  said  he 
would  try ;  he  doubted  whether  he  could.  But  I  was  in  the 
cab  before  he  had  time  to  object,  and  called  to  him  to  put  on 
the  whip.  So  away  we  went  across  the  city,  and  reached  the 
depot  just  in  time. 

Sympathizing  with  Miss  Charlotte,  who  had  been 
appointed  one  of  the  editors  of  the  students'  liter- 
ary paper  at  Wilbraham,  he  sends  her  from  the  chair 
of  the  Maine  Conference,  at  Biddeford,  a  motto 
which  he  stated  she  might  be  at  liberty  to  publish  : 

My  motto  shall  be  to — 

Get  all  the  good  I  can, 
From  all  the  sources  I  can, 
In  all  the  ways  I  can, 
By  all  the  means  I  can, 
And  as  long  as  I  can. 

Do  all  the  good  I  can, 
To  all  the  persons  I  can, 
In  all  the  ways  I  can, 
By  all  the  means  I  can, 
And  as  long  as  I  can. 

Writing  to  the  same  from  Portland,  Me.,  June  2  : 

The  Maine  Conference  closed  its  session  (at  Biddeford)  on 
Tuesday  afternoon.  The  session  was  a  pleasant  one.  I  was 
kept  up  late  but  one  night.  I  am  now  on  my  way  to  the  East 
Maine  Conference.  ...  I  stop  at  two  or  three  places  on  the 


164  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

route  to  preach.  I  preach  in  this  city  this  evening.  When 
the  East  Maine  Conference  adjourns  I  shall  return  home.  .  .  . 
To  be  happy,  we  must  love  something  higher  and  better  than 
ourselves ;  we  must  hope  for  something  above  the  things  of 
this  world ;  we  must  possess  more  than  earth  can  furnish.  In 
short,  real  goodness  and  true  happiness  can  only  be  found  in 
the  religion  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  scriptural, 
philosophical,  and  experimental.  I  have  been  young.  I  re- 
member well  my  sentiments  and  feelings  when  at  your  age.  I 
know  how  ardently  and  confidently  I  expected  happiness  in 
worldly  things.  My -prospects,  too,  were  bright.  But  subse- 
quent experience  taught  me  that  when  I  reached  one  object  of 
pursuit  after  another  I  was  just  as  unsatisfied  as  before.  This 
is,  and  must  be,  the  experience  of  all  who  seek  their  happiness 
in  worldly  enjoyments.  Mind  cannot  be  satisfied  with  earthly 
things.  The  soul  must  have  its  appropriate  pleasures.  These 
must  be  intellectual  and  religious. 

Having  returned  from  the  East  Maine  Conference 
to  New  York,  he  cannot  pause  long  enough  to  run 
out  to  Mount  Wesley,  but  writes,  August  15,  in 
haste,  to  Mrs.  Janes  : 

I  have  just  returned  from  Wilbraham.  Left  the  children 
well.  They  are  at  Mr.  Raymond's,  very  pleasantly  situated, 
and  quite  happy.  I  start  at  six  in  the  morning  for  Ehnira, 
N.  Y.,  the  seat  of  the  East  Genesee  Conference.  I  trust  in 
God  for  a  pleasant  Conference — a  useful  time. 

From  the  conference  room  at  Elmira,  August  22, 
he  sends  the  following  gem  of  a  letter  to  Tillie. 
Think  of  the  man  who  could  thus  discourse  to  his 
little  child  amid  the  excitements  and  burdens  of 
an  Annual  Conference  ! 


LETTER  TO  HIS  YOUNGEST  DAUGHTER.    165 

I  hope  you  are  smiling  and  happy  this  morning.  The  sun 
shines  here  quite  brightly.  How  is  it  at  Mount  Wesley  ?  I 
wish  I  could  hear  the  birds  around  you  sing  their  carols  this 
morning.  The  honeysuckle  at  the  porch  would  be  to  me  a 
very  pleasant  sight.  I  expect  you  have  seen  it  in  its  beauty. 
Did  you  see  a  little  humming-bird  there  taking  his  breakfast 
of  honey  ?  What  delicious  fare  he  lives  on  !  Why  don't  he 
grow  bigger  ?  I  suppose  because  his  Maker  did  not  intend 
he  should  be  any  larger.  What  a  beautiful  ornament  of  this 
bright  world  he  is  !  How  wise  and  skillful  his  Creator  must 
be  !  An  animate  flower,  a  miniature  impersonation  of  living 
beauty  !  I  admire  the  pretty  little  thing  greatly.  I  admire  the 
splendid  fragrant  flower  it  feeds  upon,  and  I  love  the  Maker 
of  them  both.  I  hope  Tillie  also  admires  the  flower  and  the 
bird,  and  loves  their  Maker  too.  Who  made  them  ?  God. 
Who  made  Tillie  ?  God.  So  your  heavenly  Father  made  the 
flowers  and  the  birds.  Certainly  we  should  admire  them  then. 
I  thank  our  kind  Father  in  heaven  for  having  made  that  sweet 
flower  to  grow  at  our  door,  and  for  sending  that  little  beauty 
to  come  and  feed  upon  it  daily.  They  make  my  happy  home 
more  attractive.  Still  there  are  stronger  endearments  to  bind 
my  heart  to  its  endeared  home.  There  is  a  vine  inside  the 
door  that  has  borne  much  more  beautiful  and  fragrant  flowers 
than  the  one  at  the  door.  This  vine  and  its  flowers  are  infi- 
nitely more  lovely  and  fragrant.  In  them  is  combined  most 
richly  both  natural  and  moral  beauties — a  twofold  and  tran- 
scendent loveliness.  As  divine  Providence  requires  me  to  be 
distant  from  my  cherished  home  most  of  the  time,  my  heart 
acts  very  much  like  the  little  humming-bird.  It  comes  several 
times  a  day  to  visit  this  lovely  vine  and  its  bright  blossoms,  to 
inhale  their  fragrance  and  revel  in  their  beauties.  O,  I  am 
glad  my  heart  has  wings.  They  are  swift  wings  too.  I  think 
my  heart,  when  it  is  coming  home,  outflies  the  telegraph. 
These  visits  give  me  great  delight.  My  heart  always  returns  to 
duty  the  happier  for  them. 

8 


1 66  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER  X. 

1853-1855. 

The  Bishop  at  Mount  Wesley — Central  and  Western  New  York — 
In  New  England — The  North-west. 

A  N  allusion  occurs  in  a  letter  to  his  son,  written 
*~*  from  Mount  Wesley,  September  12,  by  which 
are  recalled  some  of  the  most  pleasing  incidents  of 
the  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Janes  at  their  country  home : 

They  have  but  just  gotten  their  plan  and  specification  for 
the  church  at  the  Ridge.  I  hope  it  will  soon  be  under  way. 
Mr.  Day  called  on  us  this  morning.  I  heard  him  preach  a 
very  excellent  sermon  yesterday.  .  . 

The  Rev.  William  Day,  of  the  Newark  Confer- 
ence, to  whom  reference  is  made  in  the  letter,  was 
at  this  period  pastor  of  the  Bernardsville  and  Bask- 
ing Ridge  charge,  within  the  bounds  of  which  Mount 
Wesley,  the  Bishop's  country  residence,  was  situ- 
ated. He  has  kindly  furnished  "  Reminiscences  " 
of  the  Bishop  at  his  country  home,  which  may  here 
be  appropriately  introduced.  Mount  Wesley  was 
located  about  eight  miles  south-west  of  Morris- 
town,  N.  J. 

During  the  years  1853-55  it  was  my  privilege  to  be  pastor 
of  the  Church  at  Bernardsville,  N.  J.,  the  place  of  the  Bishop's 


THE  BISHOP  AT  MOUNT  WESLEY.        167 

country  home.  Mrs.  Janes  and  the  children  were  regular  at- 
tendants upon  the  services  of  the  little  church,  and  the  good 
Bishop  never  failed  to  accompany  them  when  at  home.  Young 
and  inexperienced  in  my  work,  and  having  known  the  Bishop 
only  as  he  had  presided  at  the  session  of  our  Conference,  it 
was  with  fear  and  trembling  these  new  relations  were  entered 
upon.  And  there  remains  with  me  a  distinct  memory  of  the 
peculiar  experience  with  which  I  first  found  myself  in  the  pul- 
pit and  the  Bishop  present  as  one  of  the  hearers.  But  the 
prayer  with  which  he  closed  that  Sabbath  morning  service,  his 
simple  testimony  in  the  little  class-meeting  which  followed,  and 
the  kindly  welcome  he  gave  to  "  our  pastor,"  inspired  confi- 
dence and  love  most  restful  and  precious,  which  repeated  and 
varied  association  only  strengthened  and  matured.  It  was 
surprising  to  me  that  the  great  Bishop  could  so  completely 
sympathize  with  my  position,  and  be  so  tenderly  and  thoroughly 
fraternal.  I  found,  too,  that  amid  his  multitudinous  labors  all 
the  interests  of  our  infant  Church  were  thought  of,  while  to 
each  member,  however  poor  or  illiterate,  was  given  his  friendly 
recognition,  and,  if  need  be,  his  sympathy  and  help.  That 
large  four-seated  family  carriage  was,  on  the  Sabbath,  one  of 
the  most  democratic  institutions  I  have  ever  known.  Side  by 
side  with  the  Bishop  and  his  family  were  house-servant,  farm- 
laborer,  and  poor  neighbor.  There  was  always  "  room  for 
one  more ;  "  and  no  way- side  traveler  to  the  house  of  God  was 
IQO  poor  to  be  invited  to  ride.  To  the  pastor  the  presence  of 
the  Bishop,  his  friendly  communications,  occasional  sermons, 
and  living  example  of  consecration  to  God  and  duty,  became 
an  inspiration  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Every  Methodist  minister  and  Church,  within  a  wide  radius, 
was  strengthened  by  his  residence,  his  known  interest,  and,  as 
far  as  practicable,  by  his  service  and  help.  Respectful  and  fra- 
ternal toward  all  Christian  denominations,  by  them  he  was  es- 
teemed and  honored.  The  influence  of  his  great  character  and 
Christ-like  life  was  felt  and  admitted  through  all  that  region  by 
all  classes.  Said  an  elder  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  to  me  one 
day,  "  It  is  as  good  as  an  ordinary  sermon  to  have  Bishop  Janes 


168  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

just  pass  through  our  village."  His  clear  and  strong  views 
respecting  the  mission  of  Methodism  made  him  prompt  to  en- 
courage every  opportunity  for  its  extension.  Regular  Method- 
ist preaching  was  established  in  Basking  Ridge,  an  adjoining 
town,  by  the  Bishop  buying  a  house  and  devoting  it  to  that 
purpose.  The  next  year  the  present  church  was  built,  largely 
through  his  contributions  and  personal  help. 

A  peculiar  incident  in  this  connection  may  be  of  interest. 
We  had  only  four  male  members  at  the  Ridge,  not  one  of 
means,  when  it  was  proposed  to  build  the  church.  The 
contract  for  building  required  that  the  stones  for  foundation 
and  basement  should  be  placed  gratuitously  on  the  site  by  the 
friends  of  the  enterprise.  The  pastor  found  it  impossible  to 
create  sufficient  interest  in  the  community  to  do  this.  The 
Bishop,  returning  after  an  absence  at  the  Western  Conferences, 
heard  the  statement  of  the  pastor  and  said,  "  I  will  help  you 
to-morrow."  Early  the  next  morning,  as  the  pastor  looked 
out  of  his  study  window,  the  Bishop  'was  seen  driving  a 
double  team  of  oxen  drawing  a  large  cart  loaded  with  stones 
which  with  his  own  hands  he  had  gathered  from  the  top  of  the 
mountain  more  than  a  mile  distant.  He  invited  the  pastor  to 
join  him.  For  three  days  we  worked  together  in  this  way, 
carting  the  stones.  Meeting  on  the  road  a  Christian  lawyer, 
he  exclaimed,  "  Why,  Bishop  Janes,  is  that  you  !  Drawing 
stones  for  your  farm  ?  "  The  Bishop  replied,  "  We  don't  draw 
stones  for  the  farm,  but  we  will  draw  a  kvt  for  the  Lord  when 
needed."  "  What  does  this  mean  ? "  inquired  a  wealthy 
farmer  whose  sympathies  were  not  in  the  least  with  the  church 
enterprise.  "  It  means,"  said  the  Bishop,  "  that  the  stones 
will  be  drawn — the  church  has  got  to  be  built"  I  need  not 
say  that  the  Bishop's  example  soon  secured  an  abundant  sup- 
ply of  stones.  The  church  was  built.  At  the  dedication  the 
Bishop  preached  one  of  his  powerfully  impressive  sermons. 

That  carting  of  stones  had  other  good  effects.  Said  a  prom- 
inent citizen,  a  keen  observer,  not  a  Christian,  to  the  writer  : 
"  I  have  studied  the  character  and  life  of  Bishop  Janes  for 
these  ten  years.  He  is  the  best  and  greatest  man  I  have  ever 


THE  BISHOP  AT  MOUNT  WESLEY.        169 

known ;  but  the  best  thing  he  has  done  for  this  community 
was  the  drawing  stones  for  the  church,  for  this  reason  ;  all 
through  here  men  have  thought  in  driving  oxen  it  was  neces- 
sary to  make  a  great  deal  of  noise,  and  that  they  must  swear 
sometimes.  But  the  Bishop  drove  a  double  team — and  drove 
them  well — for  three  days  up  and  down  the  mountain,  only 
speaking  in  low  and  gentle  tones.  I  want  you  to  tell  him  that 
by  this  he  has  done  more  good  than  he  ever  did  in  preaching 
ten  of  his  greatest  sermons."  I  was  myself  much  impressed 
with  the  Bishop's  quiet  power  over  the  oxen  and  the  skill  with 
which  he  controlled  them,  and  observed  to  him  that  they 
seemed  "  to  recognize  episcopal  authority."  He  replied, 
"  Oxen  are  most  tractable  creatures." 

In  the  sick  room  and  amid  scenes  of  bereavement  his  sym- 
pathy was  peculiar  to  himself.  Few  possessed  that  almost 
divine  virtue- in  so  high  degree;  few,  indeed,  knew  so  well 
how  to  express  it.  Returning  to  his  home  after  being  away 
many  weeks,  on  hearing  of  the  pastor's  sickness,  without  wait- 
ing to  take  an  hour's  rest  he  hastened  to  my  room,  and,  seat- 
ing himself  by  the  bedside,  talked  most  tenderly  and  sweetly, 
saying,  among  other  things,  "  You  have  nothing  to  do  now  but 
to  be  sick.  I  will  see  that  pulpit  and  church  are  cared  for. 
Just  take  a  good  rest  and  have  a  comfortable  time.  There  is 
a  great  deal  in  knowing  how  to  enjoy  sickness.  As  soon  as 
you  may  be  moved  I  will  take  you  to  my  home."  Each  day 
he  was  by  my  bedside  ;  his  look  was  a  benediction.  As  soon 
as  might  be  he  took  me  to  his  own  residence,  and,  seating 
me  in  the  parlor,  said,  "  Now  all  that  is  in  this  house  is  yours." 
And,  with  the  tenderness  of  a  father's  care,  each  need  was 
anticipated. 

It  was  at  home  the  character  of  the  Bishop  unfolded  its 
greatest  beauty,  so  tenderly  considerate,  simple,  and  affection- 
ate. Not  much  time  had  he  for  social  entertainment ;  but  who 
appreciated  a  visit  of  friendship  more,  or  more  honored  a 
guest  ?  In  no  home  was  the  pastor  more  welcome,  and  in  the 
light  of  that  home  he  might  read,  as  in  few  places,  the  true 
significance  of  the  pastoral  relation.  When  the  severity  of  the 


170  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Bishop's  official  responsibilities  would  permit  the  full  flow  of  his 
social  feelings  he  was  delightfully  genial  and  communicative,  en- 
livening conversation  with  pleasing  incidents  of  travel,  descrip- 
tions of  remarkable  places  and  persons,  and  even  with  humor- 
ous anecdotes. 

One  of  the  most  pleasant  hours  of  my  memory  is  that  in 
which  I  listened  to  an  evening  discussion  by  Bishop  and 
Mrs.  Janes,  almost  playful  in  spirit,  on  "  Scripture  teachings 
concerning  the  reciprocal  duties  of  husband  and  wife."  It 
would  be  as  difficult  to  decide  which  excelled  in  the  discus- 
sion as  it  would  be  to  determine  which  best  exemplified  the 
true  spirit  of  the  relation.  The  domestic  affections  of  Bishop 
Janes  were  remarkably  tender  ;  but  here,  and  always,  the  relig- 
ious element  predominated,  sanctifying  and  elevating  every  thing 
by  its  purity  and  love.  To  be  present  when  he  conducted  the 
family  worship  was  a  privilege  to  be  remembered,  but  not  to 
be  described.  No  one  who  had  not  seen  this  inner  circle  of  his 
being — this  home  unfolding  of  his  nature — and  observed  how 
strong  were  the  ties  which  centered  there,  could  estimate  the 
self-denial  involved  in  his  public  life— so  little  time  had  he  for 
home,  and  the  most  of  it  wearied  by  previous  excessive  labor 
and  taxed  to  the  utmost  with  official  correspondence  and  care. 
In  these  three  years  of  almost  constant  observation  I  am  con- 
fident there  were  not  three  days  of  real  rest — I  doubt  if  one 
— while  many  of  the  nights  were  consumed  in  episcopal  duties. 
More  time,  indeed,  he  spent  in  prayer  than  any  man  of  whose 
private  and  home-life  it  has  been  my  pleasure  to  be  acquainted. 
And  for  "  duty  "  he  was,  in  spirit,  ever  ready.  "  Will  you  not 
remain  home  for  a  little  rest  this  time?"  I  once  inquired. 
True  to  himself  came  the  answer,  "  It  would  be  a  great  pleas- 
ure to  do  so,  but  duty  calls  ;  there  will  be  rest  enough  in 
heaven'1 

This  picture  needs  no  touch  from  the  author's 
pencil.  Letters  show  that  during  this  July,  1853, 
when  the  Bishop  was  quietly  driving  oxen  and  cart- 


CINCINNATI  CONFERENCE.  171 

ing  stones  for  the  little  meeting-house,  he  was  pre- 
paring to  lay  the  foundations  of  Methodism  in  New 
Mexico  and  in  India.  In  letters  to  Dr.  Durbin  he 
is  grappling  with  the  difficulties  in  the  new  field  in 
that  remote  American  territory ;  and  adds,  "  I  will 
turn  my  attention  to  the  finding  a  man  for  India." 
In  the  early  autumn  the  Bishop  hastened,  by  way 
of  Wilbraham,  (to  see  the  children  at  school,)  to  his 
Western  Conferences  at  Hillsborough,  Ohio,  and 
Covington,  Ky.  Passing  through  New  York  city, 
he  goes  thence  by  rail  to  Dunkirk,  where  he  preaches 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  thence  on  until  he  reaches  the 
junction  of  the  Little  Miami  and  Marietta  railroads, 
where,  while  waiting  for  a  train  to  Hillsborough, 
he  writes : 

Now  from  "  Loveland  "  I  am  scribbling  a  letter  to  my  dear 
daughter  Lizzie.  I  do  not  know  as  the  name  is  very  inspiring, 
for  I  loved  you  very  much  before  I  came  here,  and  made  up 
my  mind  to  write  you  before  I  knew  the  name  of  the  place. 

The  brief  account  of  the  session  of  the  Cincin- 
nati Conference  he  gives  in  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Janes 
will  illustrate  the  spirit  of  his  administration  and 
the  zeal  which  yet  survived  in  this  wing  of  the  old 
Ohio  Conference : 

We  had  an  unusually  pleasant  session  of  the  Cincinnati  Con- 
ference. It  was  characterized  by  a  high  degree  of  spiritual  in- 
terest. When  I  examined  the  candidates  for  admission  into 
full  connection,  I  requested  several  of  the  senior  members  of 
the  Conference  to  give  a  relation  of  their  ministerial  experi- 


1/2  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ence — especially  of  their  call  and  early  ministry.  We  spent 
nearly  two  hours  in  these  exercises  and  prayer.  Sunday  was 
a  most  gracious  day.  I  preached  at  half  past  ten  o'clock  with 
considerable  liberty  and  more  unction  than  God  has  often 
granted  me.  Deep  impressions  were  made.  Bishop  Simpson 
preached  in  the  afternoon.  God  was  with  his  servant  and  in 
his  word.  The  evening  meeting  was  a  precious  one.  Several 
professed  religion  and  joined  the  Church.  Among  those  who 
joined  during  the  Conference  were  a  son  and  son-in-law  of  ex- 
Governor  Trimble. 

Making  reference  to  having  taken  through  mis- 
take the  hat  of  the  gentleman  who  taught  in  his 
family,  he  says,  very  humorously: 

...  I  know  of  no  answer  you  can  give  the. professor — only 
that  his  black  hat  has  aspired  to  the  episcopacy,  and  is  making 
an  episcopal  tour.  It  will  probably  return  in  a  short  time,  I 
think  fully  satisfied  with  episcopal  service. 

January  30,  1854,  finds  the  Bishop  in  Massa- 
chusetts, addressing  missionary  meetings.  Under 
this  date,  his  letter  to  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Boston, 
shows  him  amid  sickness  and  weariness  longing, 
though  patiently,  for  the  heavenly  rest : 

...  I  am  sharing  the  hospitalities  of  my  esteemed  Brother 
Sleeper.  I  have  had  quite  a  sick  day.  I  was  very  ynwell  when 
I  left  home,  and  have  not  found  much  relief  yet.  Rather  poor 
plight  for  three  important  speeches  this  week,  a  very  im- 
portant special  sermon  next  Sunday,  and  in  the  meantime  to 
answer  almost  innumerable  disciplinary  questions  and  write 
letters  incessantly.  Well,  it  is  all  right.  God  is  good.  He  has 
a  resting-place  for  me.  I  trust  I  shall  reach  it  at  last.  In  the 
meantime  I  have  to  serve  him  and  his  Church.  It  is  great 
pleasure — a  high  privilege. 


LETTERS — DEATH  OF  HIS  FATHER.       173 

Bishop  Janes  went  to  the  assistance  of  Bishop 
Ames  at  the  sessions  of  the  Baltimore  and  Phila- 
delphia Conferences. 

From  Baltimore,  March  10,  1854,  he  writes  to 
Mrs.  Janes: 

I  am  very  anxious  'to  be  at  home.  I  know  my  family  in- 
terests are  suffering — but  the  Church  first.  This  must  be  my 
maxim.  My  conviction  is,  that  the  best  way  for  me  to  take 
care  of  my  family  is  faithfully  to  fulfill  the  ministry  which  I 
have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  If  I  meet  my  obli- 
gations to  God  and  his  Church,  I  believe  God  will  fulfill  his 
promises  to  me  and  my  family.  This  is  my  faith.  I  think  it  is 
scriptural.  God  bless  you  all !  I  cannot  write  more  now. 

To  the  same,  from  Reading,  Pa.,  March  22 : 

.  .  .  Found  the  Conference  in  session.  Bishop  Ames  pres- 
ent and  presiding.  He  is  in  good  health,  and  it  is  well  for  him 
that  he  is,  for  there  is  so  much  of  him,  that  if  he  becomes  sick 
it  must  be  a  severe  matter. 

I  have  a  very  pleasant  home.  Providence  has  always  taken 
good  care  of  me.  I  ought  to  be  very  thankful  and  confiding. 
I  think  I  am.  I  strive  to  be.  It  ought  to  be  very  easy  to  re- 
pose on  a  heart  of  infinite  love.  And  so  it  would  be  if  it  were 
not  for  human  weakness  and  satanic  temptations.  These  make 
it  a  warfare.  But  the  "  fight  of  faith  "  is  a  glorious  one  ! 

While  attending  the  session  of  the  New  Jersey 
Conference  at  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  he  was 
summoned  to  the  death-bed  of  his  father.  From 
South  Canaan,  Connecticut,  he  writes  to  his  wife, 
April  14: 

I  reached  here  about  two  o'clock  this  afternoon.  Our  dear 
father  closed  his  earthly  existence  at  four  o'clock  this  morning. 


1/4  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

His  end  was  peace.  He  was  a  very  affectionate  father.  His 
love  for  his  children  was  more  'than  common.  I  feel  thank- 
ful I  had  the  means  and  the  disposition  to  supply  his  tem- 
poral wants  in  his  old  age.  He  will  be  buried  by  the  side 
of  our  dear  mother.  They  will  sleep  in  Jesus  until  the  res- 
urrection morning.  I  hope  to  see  them  again,  and  to  share 
with  them  eternal  life. 

The  Bishop's  tour  of  the  Conferences  lay  during 
this  summer  and  autumn  (1854)  mostly  within  the 
State  of  New  York.  I  shall  not  follow  him  save  to 
give  a  few  extracts  from  his  letters. 

From  the  chair  of  Conference,  Cortland,  New 
York,  July  22,  1854,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

Some  unpleasant  things  are  anticipated.  It  would  be  re- 
markable if  some  did  not  occur.  Ministers  are  good  men,  but 
they  are  men. 

I  am  dreading  preaching  to-morrow,  as  I  have  to  preach  out 
of  doors,  of  course  to  a  multitude.  I  will  try  to  do  them  good. 
God  must  give  the  increase. 

To  the  same,  from  Binghamton,  New  York, 
July  29: 

Yesterday  morning  held  a  love-feast  at  nine  o'clock.  Preached 
at  half  past  ten  o'clock  about  our  glorious  religion  and  per- 
fected Saviour  with  liberty  and  some  unction.  In  the  after- 
noon administered  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  In 
the  evening  preached  on  the  subject  of  personal  consecration 
to  God  a  reasonable  duty.  A  very  crowded  house  and  oppress- 
ive atmosphere.  God  blessed  me,  and  I  think  good  was  done. 
It  was  too  severe  a  day's  work.  These  appointments  were 
made  for  me,  however,  before  I  reached  here,  and  I  felt  it  nec- 
essary to  try  to  fill  them. 


COMPANY  IN  BOOKS.  175 

To  the  same,  from  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  August  21  : 

Dr.  Durbin  is  addressing  the  Conference  for  a  few  minutes 
on  the  subject  of  missions.  I  may  not  for  a  little  time  be 
called  upon  to  watch  a  debate  or  put  a  motion.  I  seize  this 
opportunity  to  send  my  affectionate  salutations.  As  I  cannot 
use  my  eyes  and  countenance  to  express  the  tenderness  of  my 
heart,  I  must  use  the  best  means  in  my  power  to  indulge  the 
desire  of  my  heart  to  sympathize  and  commune  with  you.  I 
feel  that  I  can  do  this  notwithstanding  the  distance  interven- 
ing. Love  has  ubiquity  :  it  can  be  in  heaven  and  on  earth  at 
the  same  time  !  It  can  be  in  Geneva  and  at  Mount  Wesley  at 
one  and  the  same  time !  My  heart  never  goes  from  home. 
Where  wife  is,  I  am.  I  expect  it  will  be  so  as  long  as  we  live 
on  earth,  and  I  have  good  hope  that,  in  the  fullest  sense,  this 
will  be  the  case  forever  in  heaven. 

From  the  same  "chair"  he  thus  felicitously  dis- 
courses about  "  books  "  to  his  daughter  Elizabeth  : 

Do  you  not  find  good  company  in  your  books  ?^  When 
you  see  them  in  the  morning  do  they  not  seem  like  old  friends  ? 
almost  like  brothers  and  sisters  ?  Do  you  not  love  to  sit  down 
and  talk  with  them  ?  to  listen  to  their  lessons  of  wisdom  ? 
Is  it  not  very  pleasant  and  profitable  to  spend  some  hours 
every  day  in  their  good  company  ?  I  love  good  books  very 
much.  I  never  feel  friendless  or  lonesome  when  I  have  some 
instructive,  useful  books  with  me.  To  me  they  are  improving, 
delightful  company. 

From  Warsaw,  N.  Y.,  he  writes,  September  5  : 

I  am  more  honored  in  my  advent  into  Warsaw  than  Christ 
was  in  his  advent  into  the  world.  They  have  found  room  for 
me  in  the  inn.  Myself  and  all  the  presiding  elders  are  enter- 
tained at  the  Temperance  House,  a  respectable  public  house — 
a  very  comfortable  place. 


176  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1854  Bishop  Janes 
thus  writes  to  his  three  older  children,  who  were  at- 
tending school  at  the  Conference  Seminary  at 
Amenia,  N.  Y. : 

...  It  is  a  great  matter  to  know  how  to  set  ourselves  to 
work  ;  how  to  shake  off  dullness  and  slothfulness,  and  not 
only  improve  our  days  but  even  our  fugitive  moments  ;  to  seize 
upon  all  the  little  portions  of  time  and  turn  them  to  profit. 
Industry  is  a  cardinal  v:rtue.  Without  it  even  genius  is  use- 
less. An  indolent  life  must  be  barren  of  good  results.  Pa- 
tient, persevering  exertion  only  accomplishes  great  things — 
reaches  high  elevations.  In  this  wicked  world  goodness  must 
be  struggled  for  before  it  can  be  enjoyed.  Wisdom  is  an  at- 
tainment, not  a  gift.  Religion  is  a  treasure  to  be  sought  and 
found.  So  our  every  interest  demands  activity — well-directed, 
appropriate  exertion. 

I  hope  you  are  beginning  to  feel  at  home  in  the  seminary. 
One  great  advantage  of  being  at  a  seminary  is  the  living  by 
rule.  Education  costs  money,  time,  study,  and  sacrifice ;  but 
it  is  worth  them  all.  Even  when  we  have  to  pay  for  it  with 
home  sickness  we  do  not  pay  too  much. 

The  Bishop  had  insisted  upon  the  erection  of  a 
chapel  at  the  "  Cross  Roads,"  on  the  Bernardsville 
charge.  In  January,  1855,  having  a  little  leisure, 
he  sallied  forth  among  the  Churches  of  South  Jer- 
sey to  collect  money  for  the  relief  of  this  small 
Church.  It  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  him  to 
give  largely  to  various  enterprises,  and  also  to  as- 
sume heavy  personal  liabilities,  depending  upon  his 
own  exertions  for  raising  the  money.  On  this  tour 
he  writes,  "  I  have  not  time  to  write  much  this  morn- 


HARD  FARE.  •      177 

ing,  as  I  am  about  to  start  on  a  twenty-mile  ride  in 
a  snow-storm." 

In  February  he  went  to  New  England  to  assist  the 
Rev.  Dr.  J.  T.  Peck  (now  Bishop  Peck)  in  the  tract 
cause.  If  any  one  thinks  Bishop  Janes  could  not 
appreciate  the  ludicrous,  and  was  insensible  to  phys- 
ical discomforts,  let  him  read  the  following  letter  to 
his  wife  on  hotel  fare,  dated  Boston,  February  15: 

I  reached  this  city  a  little  after  one  o'clock  this  morning. 
The  rain  was  descending  most  copiously.  I  took  a  hack  for 
the  Marlborough  House,  my  old  stopping-place.  The  clerk 
came  to  the  door  and  said,  "  We  can  do  nothing  for  you,  sir ; 
we  are  all  full.  You  had  better  go  to  the  Pavilion."  So  we 
started  for  the  Pavilion ;  arrived,  rang  the  bell ;  clerk  came. 
"  All  full ;  cannot  accommodate  you  any  way."  *  Where  next, 
driver?  "  "  There  is  a  house  down  here  where  I  drive  from," 
said  he.  "  Is  it  respectable  ?  "  said  I.  "  Yes  ;  it  is  a  dollar- 
and-a-quarter-a-day  house."  This  looked  quite  suspicious ; 
but  I  said  to  him,  "  Drive  there."  So  there  he  went.  "  Can 
you  accommodate  with  lodgings  to-night  ?  '  "  Yes,  sir." 
Registered  my  name.  "  I  would  like  to  retire  immediately." 
"Yes,  sir.  Fifty  cents."  "What  for?"  "Your  lodging." 
"Why,  I  haven't  got  it  yet."  "Rule,  sir."  "What,  to  pay 
before  we  go  to  bed  ! "  •'  Yes."  Well,  I  had  no  choice.  So 
I  paid  his  fifty  cents,  and  he  lighted  me  to  a  room  the  regular 
occupant  of  which  was  absent.  It  looked  for  all  the  world  like 
an  old  bachelor's  domestic  sanctuary  ;  but  it  was  pretty  com- 
fortable. So  I  said  my  prayers  and  went  to  my  repose  about 
two  o'clock.  Awoke  at  seven  this  morning,  made  my  toilet, 
and  went  down  to  breakfast.  Such  a  starve-to-death  break- 
fast— it  was  a  caution  !  There  was  food  enough,  such  as  it 
was.  Yes,  such  as  it  was  !  and  where  it  was  !  Dirty,  dirtier, 
dirtiest !  Steak  almost  raw  ;  sent  it  back  to  the  kitchen  to  be 
recooked  ;  came  back  smoking ;  so  tough  I  could  neither  cut 


178  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

nor  chew  it.  There  began  to  be  internal  signs  of  revolt;  but 
it  was  soon  agreed  that  the  eyes  should  only  look  on  the  bright 
side  of  things,  (where  one  could  be  found,)  the  stomach  should 
ask  no  questions  for  conscience'  sake,  steam  should  be  put  on, 
and  the  masticatory  machinery  put  in  motion  immediately,  and 
a  hard  job  dispatched  as  best  it  could  be.  With  this  arrange- 
ment I  was  very  successful.  The  price  was  moderate  ;  so  now 
1  am  in  pretty  good  health  and  spirits,  really  thankful  that  I 
am  so  much  better  off  than  the  multitude  who  have  no  break- 
fast, and  the  many  who  have  no  health  to  enjoy  one.  ...  I 
have  more  concern  about  the  preaching  to-morrow,  they  ex- 
pect so  much  on  a  special  occasion,  and  from  a  Bishop.  Just 
as  if  a  title  could  preach  !  Well 

"Who  does  the  best  his  circumstance  allows, 
Does  well,  acts  nobly  ;  angels  could  no  more." 

On  the  1 5th  the  Bishop  pressed  his  way  through 
a  fearful  storm  to  Haverhill,  and  on  the  i6th 
preached  at  the  dedication  of  a  new,  tasteful,  and 
commodious  church  in  that  place.  He  writes : 

This  morning  the  rain  has  turned  to  snow.  We  start  in  a 
few  minutes  for  Portland.  I  trust  we  shall  have  profitable 
meetings  there.  It  would  be  sorry  business  to  take  this  winter 
journey  and  all  its  exposures  without  doing  something  for  God 
and  humanity.  The  Lord  helping  me,  I  will  make  my  im- 
pression for  good. 

The  Bishop  thus  alludes  to  this  New  England 
tour  in  a  letter  to  Elizabeth  : 

So  you  claim  a  letter  a  week,  do  you  ?  Well,  then,  I  am  a 
letter  in  debt,  and  this  one  is  now  due.  How  can  I  write  you 
every  week  when  I  have  so  many  business  letters  that  1  must 
write  ?  I  should  have  written  to  you  from  Portland,  but  I  had 
the  sick  headache  three  days  and  I  had  not  the  strength  to 


VISIT  TO  LYNN,  MASS.  179 

write  you.  I  returned  home  usually  well.  I  had  a  pleasant 
visit  in  Massachusetts  and  in  Maine.  I  dedicated  two  churches, 
preached  one  sermon  in  behalf  of  the  tract  cause,  made  two 
set  speeches  and  several  talks,  and  presided  in  several  meet- 
ings. We  had  a  good  anniversary. 


The  writer  well  remembers  some  of  the  incidents 
of  this  tour.  He,  too,  experienced  the  discomforts 
of  travel  as  he  was  going  from  Baltimore  to  Port- 
land on,  to  him,  a  most  interesting  errand.  He 
had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  the  Bishop  preach  that 
one  sermon  at  the  tract  anniversary.  But  one 
other  occurrence  impressed  him  much  more.  It 
chanced  that  the  Bishop,  homeward  bound,  was 
spending  a  night  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  with  his  esteemed 
friend  Mr.  Jacob  Aber,  and  thr.t  on  the  same  night  he, 
then  a  young  preacher,  with  his  bride,  was  a  guest  of 
the  pastor  of  Mr.  Aber.  That  evening  the  Bishop, 
notwithstanding  all  his  weariness,  made  a  call  with 
Mrs.  Aber  on  the  young  married  couple,  and,  after 
an  agreeable  conversation  of  a  half  hour,  offered 
for  them  a  prayer  in  which  he  most  feelingly  and 
particularly  commended  them  to  God.  He  had 
known  and  loved  Professor  Merritt  Caldwell,  of 
Dickinson  College,  the  bride's  father,  but  the  young 
preacher  was  a  stranger.  That  a  Bishop  should 
take  such  notice  of  an  obscure  young  minister  on 
his  bridal  tour  left  an  impression  as  to  his  thought- 
fulness  and  condescending  goodness  which  was 
never  forgotten. 


i8o  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

From  Baltimore,  March  15,  (1855,)  where  he  was 
helping  Bishop  Waugh  with  the  Baltimore  Confer- 
ence, then  very  large  and  unwieldy,  he  writes : 

I  cannot  yet  anticipate  the  time  of  adjournment.  We  are 
delayed  mainly  in  making  out  the  appointments.  This  is  an 
immense  work,  attended  with  immense  difficulties.  God  has 
always  brought  us  through  heretofore.  I  expect  he  will  at 
this  Conference. 

From  the  same  point  to  Dr.  Durbin : 

I  expect  to  be  in  New  York  on  Wednesday  next  in  time  for 
the  evening  meeting,  ordination,  etc.  I  shall  be  so  jaded  that 
it  will  be  difficult  for  me  to  preach.  Would  it  not  be  better  to 
have  some  addresses  ?  I  presume  Dr.  Taylor  is  in  New  York. 
He  would  interest  the  New  York  people.  Perhaps  you  can 
gel  some  one  else  also.  The  people  are  always  delighted  to 
hear  Dr.  Durbin.  I  will  preach  if  there  is  an  absolute  neces- 
sity ;  but  wish  to  be  relieved. 

Here  is  a  word  on  Yankee  thrift,  written  home 
from  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  April  5,  the  seat  of 
the  Providence  Conference.  The  Bishop's  eyes  were 
always  on  the  alert. 

The  route  from  Hartford  to  Providence  was  mostly  through 
hills,  across  a  broken  and  barren  country,  yet  there  were  all 
along  signs  of  wealth,  comfort,  and  refinement.  The  people 
work  themselves,  and  make  every  thing  else  work.  Grand- 
father works  and  grandmother  works ;  father  works  and 
mother  works ;  the  boys  work  and  the  girls  work ;  and  the 
horse  works,  and  the  ox  works,  and  the  cow  works,  and  the 
sheep  works,  and  the  dog  works,  and  the  cat  works,  and  the 
hen  works.  Every  animal  must  earn  its  living.  Yes,  and  they 
keep  the  stones  at  work,  making  fence  and  other  things  useful. 
They  make  the  water  work;  every  little  rivulet  is  .kept  busy 


LETTERS.  181 

turning  big  wheels  and  different  kinds  of  machinery.  They 
even  make  Jack  Frost  work  all  winter,  in  congealing  the  little 
lakes  and  furnishing  the  immense  cargoes  of  ice  sent  to  distant 
parts  of  the  world  as  a  valuable  article  of  commerce.  Indeed, 
every  thing  works.  O,  this  is  a  very  industrious  country ! 
hence  a  prosperous  country,  and  intelligent,  too.  Few  in- 
stances are  furnished  in  history  of  any  people  becoming  so  j 
thrifty  and  wealthy  and  intellectual  under  such  disadvantages. 
Their  railroads,  their  factories,  their  beautiful  residences,  their 
schools,  their  churches,  all  bespeak  their  pre-eminent  merit. 

At  Newark,  New  Jersey,  soon  after,  oppressed 
with  the  difficulties  of  the  episcopal  office,  he  utters 
a  well-nigh  painful  cry  to  Mrs.  Janes : 

I  anticipate  a  rather  long  session.  Still  I  hope  for  a  har- 
monious one.  I  need  not  say  we  have  great  difficulty  in  mak- 
ing the  appointments.  You  know  enough  of  the  circumstances 
of  our  work  and  the  peculiarities  of  our  economy  to  anticipate 
this.  God  only  can  enable  us  to  accomplish  his  gracious  de- 
signs in  raising  up  our  branch  of  his  glorious  Church.  He  can 
use  very  poor  instruments  in  doing  his  work.  This  is  my  com- 
fort. I  depend  on  him  in  this  instance,  as  I  ever  have  done. 

From  Claremont,  N.  H.,  May  4,  another  cry: 

Thus  far  the  Conference  has  progressed  pleasantly.  The 
Church  here  is  not  in  a  high  state  of  prosperity.  There  is  a 
great  want  of  pastors.  I  fear  also  a  want  of  spirit  and  power 
in  some  of  those  in  the  work.  Politics  and  secret  societies 
have  done  them  harm.  Still  Jesus  lives  and  reigns.  This  is 
the  comfort  and  hope  of  his  Church. 

From  the  session  of  the  New  York  Conference, 
May  14,  at  Sing  Sing,  New  York,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

We  have  just  received  a  telegraphic  dispatch  from  Bishop 
Scott,  informing  us  that  he  has  had  a  relapse,  and  is  unable  to 


182  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

attend  the  New  York  East  Conference.  The  lot  again  falls  on 
Jonah  :  the  greatest  cross  I  ever  took  up,  because  of  the  deli- 
cacies and  difficulties  that  must  embarrass  the  Bishop  who 
presides  there  this  year.  God  can  carry  me  through.  No  other 
power  can.  The  Church  is  his.  He  bought  it  with  his  blood. 
I  am  his.  The  work  is  his.  I  have  no  confidence  in  myself — 
I  have  confidence  in  God.  His  wisdom  and  power  are  adequate. 
My  heart  is  sending  up  to  the  mercy-seat  its  strong  desires.  I 
am  sure  you  will  pray  for  me  and  the  Conference. 

From  Danbury,  Connecticut,  the  seat  of  the  New 
York  East  Conference,  May  16,  to  Mrs.  Janes- 

The  preachers  have  greeted  me  very  cordially.  I  fear  I  shaft 
have  great  trouble  in  stationing  the  preachers.  God  can  en- 
able me  to  do  it  right,  and  then  make  the  preachers  and  people 
satisfied  and  happy.  I  trust  he  will. 

In  the  "  chair,"  his  thoughts  turn  to  Tillie,  to 
whom  he  writes  on  happiness,  sin,  and  the  Saviour : 

Our  heavenly  Father  loves  to  see  us  happy.  He  would  not 
have  given  us  so  much  to  make  us  happy  if  he  did  not  desire 
us  to  be  so.  It  is  right  and  proper,  therefore,  that  we  should 
be  cheerful  and  joyful.  If  we  are  good  we  shall  have  no  cause 
to  be  unhappy.  It  is  sin  that  makes  us  unhappy.  Sin  has 
produced  all  the  sorrow  and  misery  that  are  in  the  world. 
-  What  a  terrible  thing  it  is  to  sin  against.  God  !  It  makes  per- 
sons wretched  in  both  worlds.  What  a  blessed  thing  it  is  that 
we  have  a  Saviour.  Jesus  can  save  us  from  our  wickedness. 
He  can  pardon  all  that  we  have  done  that  is  wrong,  and  make 
our  wicked  hearts  good.  O,  what  a  precious  Saviour !  How 
we  should  love  him  and  praise  him.  I  hope  you  love  the  Lord 
Jesus.  I  hope  you  will  serve  him  all  your  days  on  earth,  and 
then  enjoy  him  forever  in  heaven. 

From  Maine,  while  attending  upon  the  Confer- 
ences, he  writes  to  Dr.  J.  M.  Howe,  of  New  York, 


THE  MAINE  LAW.  183 

his  impressions  of  the  Prohibitory  Liquor  Law  of 
the  State : 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  interest  in  traveling  in  this  State. 
The  scenery  is  very  fine.  The  villages  are  beautiful,  and  most 
of  them  thriving.  No  rum  ruins  meeting  the  eye  at  every  turn. 
I  have  not  seen  an  intoxicated  man,  nor  any  thing  to  intoxicate 
a  man,  since  I  came  into  this  State.  You  can  scarcely  realize 
the  change.  O  !  I  hope  we  shall  have  a  law  similar  to  the  one 
in  this  State,  soon  in  every  State  in  the  Union.  If  we  could 
only  be  relieved  from  rum  and  slavery  what  a  glorious  country 
ours  would  be.  I  have  hope  in  God  in  relation  to  these  sub- 
jects, but  not  much  hope  in  man.  The  Gospel  must  prevail ; 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.  ^1  bless  the  Lord  that  I 
find  my  own  religious  experience  an  improving  one.  I  find  in- 
creasing delight  in  the  service  and  sonship  of  God.  Duty  with 
me  is  delight.  Self-denial,  cross-bearing,  and  labor  for  God 
are  pleasures. 

Usually  while  attending  the  spring  Conferences 
the  Bishop  could  run  to  Mount  Wesley  in  the 
intervals  of  sessions,  but  the  Western  and  North- 
western Conferences  of  the  autumn  required  a  more 
protracted  absence,  during  which  he  was  also  much 
more  exposed  to  malarious  influences.  Starting 
out  on  a  tour  of  these  was  fraught  with  some  pangs. 
But  how  heroically,  this  season,  as  always,  he  bore 
up  under  his  trials,  may  be  seen  by  the  following 
letter  to  Mrs.  Janes,  from  New  York  on  the  eve  of 
leaving  for  the  North-west : 

My  business  in  the  city  is  now  about  finished,  and  I  am  ready 
for  my  journey.  I  go  cheerfully,  because  it  is  manifestly  duty. 
I  go  for  Christ's  sake,  and  that  makes  it  even  a  pleasure.  But 
for  this  motive  my  life  would  be  intolerable.  The  love  of  Christ 


184  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JAXES. 

"gives  even  affliction  a  grace."  It  makes  work  a  delight  and 
sacrifice  a  joy.  I  can  neither  do  nor  suffer  too  much  for  Jesus. 
If  I  could  bear  all  the  affliction  I  would  be  glad ;  but  I  cannot. 
The  sight  of  one  soul  in  glory,  saved  through  our  agency,  will 
be  a  recompense  for  a  life  of  trial  and  sacrifice.  I  know  your 
heart  will  respond  to  this  sentiment.  You  can  appreciate  this 
consideration.  This  religious  motive  lessens  your  sufferings  in 
consequence  of  my  almost  constant  absence  from  home.  There 
remains  a  rest  for  the  people  of  God.  The  time  of  labor  is 
short  enough.  Yes,  and  the  time  of  rest  will  be  long  enough ; 
but  how  different  the  length.  The  former  but  as  a  watch  in 
the  night,  the  latter  eternal.  Momentary — eternal — what  a 
contrast !  May  it  reconcile  us  fully  to  our  peculiar  duties  and 
circumstances.  And  may  we  be  able  to  rejoice  that  we  are 
accounted  worthy  to  suffer  for  Christ,  our  divine  Lord. 

He  reached  Chicago,  August  25,  and  preached 
there  on  the  Sabbath  following.  On  Monday  he 
went  to  Evanston,  the  seat  of  the  North-western 
University.  "  A  Methodist  college,"  he  writes, 
"which  is  in  an  incipient  state;  yet  I  think  it  is  the 
commencement  of  a  great  and  useful  institution." 
He  then  went  on  to  Racine,  Wisconsin,  the  seat  of 
the  Wisconsin  Conference. 

Referring  to  the  session,  September  3,  he  writes 
to  Mrs.  Janes: 

I  was  more  than  ordinarily  aided  by  the  Spirit  while  preach- 
ing the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  On  Saturday  I  had  two 
women  call  on  me,  and  inform  me  that  the  prophecy  men- 
tioned in  Acts  ii,  18,  was  being  fulfilled,  that  they  had  received 
the  Spirit,  and  were  called  to  prophesy,  and  wanted  me  to  or- 
dain them  deaconesses.  I  saw  they  were  honest  women ;  I 
conversed  with  them  kindly,  but  told  them  I  was  not  authorized 
to  comply  with  their  wishes.  They  left  me  disappointed,  but, 


IN  THE  NORTH-WEST.  185 

I  think,  not  offended.  One  of  them  insisted  on  being  received 
into  the  Conference  as  a  traveling  minister.  They  were  En- 
glish women,  possessed  considerable  intelligence,  and  I  judge 
were  really  pious.  The  Conference  so  far  has  progressed  but 
slowly.  Rather  a  restless  spirit  prevails.  I  hope  it  will  get 
moderated  before  the  Conference  adjourns.  Good  men  are 
very  frail  beings.  Even  God's  ministers  are  encompassed 
with  infirmities.  Unless  God  preserves  his  Church  there  is  but 
little  hope  for  Zion;  indeed,  but  little  hope  for  our  fallen 
humanity. 

He  finds  time  to  write  thus,  on  early  culture : 

I  hope  daughter  Elizabeth  is  cultivating  a  taste  for  reading. 
It  is  very  important  she  improve,  as  far  as  her  health  will  per- 
mit, every  opportunity  for  cultivating  her  mind.  Do  all  you 
can  to  educate  both  head  and  heart,  and  to  qualify  yourself  for 
happiness  and  usefulness  in  the  future. 

Religion — purity  of  heart,  devotion  of  spirit — gentleness  and 
delicacy  of  manners,  amiableness  and  meekness  of  spirit,  are 
essential  elements  to  a  lady's  happiness  and  usefulness  in  life. 
I  trust  my  dear  daughter  is  cultivating  these  constantly,  espe- 
cially purity  of  heart. 

To  Mrs.  Janes  after 'the  close  of  the  Conference, 
from  Chicago,  September  10: 

I  thank  God  for  bringing  me  through  it.  I  pray  God  to  for- 
give any  errors  I  have  committed.  The  Conference  seemed 
to  approve  of  my  administration.  By  a  rising,  and,  I  believe, 
a  unanimous,  vote,  they  passed  a  resolution  thanking  God  for 
enabling  me  to  be  present  and  preside  with  so  much  patience 
and  impartiality.  I  was  pleased  that  they  thanked  God,  and 
not  me.  I  am  certain  that  was  in  the  right  direction. 

I  spend  this  afternoon  in  conference  with  the  brethren  of  the 
Churches  here,  about  their  pastoral  interests  and  also  their 
church-extension  enterprises. 

To-morrow  morning  I  expect  to  take  the  cars  for  Rock  Island, 


i86  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JAXKS. 

there  to  renew  the  perplexities  and  responsibilities  of  a  Con- 
ference session. 

I  trust  you  bask  in  the  smile  of  a  complacent  God,  and  exult 
in  the  prospect  of  eternal  beatitude.  If  so,  how  small  are  all 
things  else — how  transient,  how  easily  dispensed  with.  God 
and  duty — the  favor  of  the  one  and  the  performance  of  the 
other — these  are  all  that  really  concern  us. 

From  the  session  of  the  Rock  River  Conference, 
at  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  September  13,  to  Elizabeth  : 

It  is  a  large  Conference.  So  far  their  deportment  has  been 
very  amiable  and  religious,  and  I  think  the  Conference  a  noble 
body  of  intelligent,  spiritual,  and  faithful  ministers.  ...  I  have 
not  yet  received  any  communication  from  home  since  I  reached 
this  city.  I  expect  the  messengers  of  love  are  on  their  way 
here.  The  mail  is  sometimes  tardy;  especially  when  love  is 
looking  out  for  messages  from  loved  ones.  Love  is  a  winged 
angel.  But  the  mail  is  not  yet  carried  on  wings.  Perhaps  in 
this  progressive  age  it  soon  may  be.  I  wish  it  were  so  now. 
I  would  talk  with  home  much  more  frequently.  How  that 
would  sweeten  life !  It  would  make  absence  quite  supportable. 

ToTillie: 

We  have  here  clouds  of  mosquitoes.  O,  how  they  bite ! 
They  must  work  fast,  as  they  have  but  little  time.  Jack  Frost 
is  after  them.  He  will  soon  send  them  into  close  confinement. 
Is  Tillie  learning  to  read  any?  Do  you  ask  ma  or  sister  to 
hear  your  lesson  every  day?  How  about  spelling — can  you 
spell  all  the  words  in  this  letter?  Suppose  you  try. 

There  are  allusions  to  himself  in  the  following 
letter,  at  the  close  of  the  Rock  River  Conference, 
that  will  be  appreciated  by  any  who  ever  met  the 
Bishop.  Even  those  most  intimate  with  him  never 
heard  him  refer  to  his  own  performances,  in  a  man- 


REFERENCES  TO  HIMSELF.  187 

ner  savoring  of  self-glorification.  There  was  one, 
however,  to  whom  he  did  speak,  and  to  her  but 
sparingly.  Every  man  must  have  at  least  one  heart 
which  fully  reflects  his  own,  and  to  which  he  can  at 
least  occasionally  unbosom  himself.  If  he  was  chary 
of  bestowing  praise  upon  men  to  their  face,  it  was 
because  he  did  not  wish  even  to  seem  to  expect  a 
return  of  compliments.  Having  schooled  himself 
to  repress  all  emotions  of  self-glorying,  he  felt 
obliged  not  to  excite  such  emotions  in  his  fellow- 
beings.  If  his  friends  might  feel  at  any  time  that 
he  did  not  say  to  them  sufficiently  appreciative 
words  for  themselves  and  their  deeds,  they  -never 
could  complain  of  a  lack  of  service,  by  which,  as 
often  without  their  knowledge  as  with  it,  they  were 
helped  to  their  true  position  and  influence.  "  Cer- 
tainly moderate  praise  used  with  opportunity,  and 
not  vulgar,  is  that  which  doeth  the  good." 
To  Mrs.  Janes,  Chicago,  September  21 : 

The  session  at  Rock  Island  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  I  ever 
attended.  A  very  kind  and  religious  spirit  prevailed  all  the 
time.  The  business  was  transacted  with  great  harmony  and 
dispatch.  I  was  specially  aided  by  God  in  my  administration : 
in  all  my  care  and  perplexities  enabled  to  be  self-possessed. 
I  usually  find  but  little  difficulty  in  presiding  when  I  can  keep 
my  own  mind  calm  and  deliberate.  But  when  in  constant  fa- 
tigues and  strong  excitement  day  after  day  the  nervous  system 
loses  its  tone,  self-government  becomes  exceedingly  difficult. 
At  my  last  two  Conferences,  when  in  the  chair,  I  have  been 
preserved  from  all  hurry  and  agitation  of  spirit,  and  enabled  to 
control  my  manner  more  than  usually  to  my  own  comfort  and 


1 88  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

satisfaction.  I  have  reason  to  believe,  also,  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  Conference  to  a  high  degree.  At  least  they  so  expressed 
themselves  by  resolutions.  In  my  addresses  to  the  young 
ministers — candidates  for  ordination — I  was  never  so  greatly 
aided  before.  I  am  confident  impressions  were  made  upon 
their  hearts  and  minds  that  time  will  not  efface. 

On  last  Sunday  I  had  a  happy  season  in  preaching  and  con- 
ducting the  ordination  services.  In  these  matters  I  only  speak 
of  myself  to  my  wife.  I  could  not  say  what  I  have  said  except 
to  her.  The  good  that  is  done  God  doeth  it.  Our  good  is  all 
divine.  My  correspondence,  in  connection  with  my  conference 
duties,  has,  on  this  tour,  been  really  burdensome.  I  am  obliged 
to  improve  every  moment  of  respite  from  active  duties  in  an- 
swering letters.  Dry  detail  business  letters  most  of  them. 
Still  this  is  one  of  my  crosses. 

To  Miss  Charlotte,  from  Alton,  Illinois,  the  seat 
of  the  Southern  Illinois  Conference,  September  28 : 

I  hope  you  will  not  be  too  earnest  in  your  desires  in  refer- 
ence to  your  standing  in  the  school.  I  perceive  there  is  not 
much  truthfulness  in  their  rules  of  merit.  A  student  taking 
two  or  three  studies,  and  giving  all  her  attention  to  these 
branches,  ought  to  be  reported  more  perfect  than  an  equally 
meritorious  student,  who  is  giving  attention  to  twice  the  num- 
ber of  different  studies.  I  do  not  find  any  fault  with  the  rule. 
I  do  not  know  that  they  can  adopt  a  better.  But  I  mean  to  say, 
it  is  not  a  very  correct  test  of  merit.  Consequently  should  not 
control  a  student  in  her  conduct  or  feelings.  Especially,  I 
hope  you  will  not  injure  your  health  in  order  to  be  among  the 
first  in  your  standing  in  the  seminary.  That  would  be  paying 
too  high  a  price  for  such  distinction. 

To  Tillie,  from  Alton,  October  3 : 

The  Conference  adjourned  on  Monday  afternoon.  .  .  .  My 
next  Conference  will  be  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
nearer  home.  That  is  some  comfort.  Have  all  the  flowers 


LETTERS  FROM  ILLINOIS.  189 

faded  and  died?  Will  there  be  any  when  I  reach  home?  I 
suppose  the  last  rose  of  summer  is  gone,  but,  how  about  the 
altheas,  are  they  all  gone  too  ?  Well,  if  they  are,  I  expect  I 
shall  have  roses  and  lilies  fresh  and  fragrant  in  the  counte- 
nances of  mamma,  Lizzie,  and  Tillie.  They  will  never  die 
there.  Those  are  the  most  precious  ones,  too.  The  diamond 
eye,  the  rosy  lips,  and  lily  cheeks  of  my  loved  ones  have  a  won- 
derful enchantment  in  them.  I  hope  to  see  them  soon.  That 
will  be  a  luxury  both  for  my  eyes  and  heart.  I  rather  guess 
they  will  be  glad  to  see  me  by  the  time  I  get  home.  If  they 
are  not  I  will  go  away  again,  though  I  should  feel  very  sad. 

A  letter  from  the  Illinois  Conference,  at  Paris, 
Illinois,  October  9,  to  Elizabeth,  closes  the  corre- 
spondence on  this  tour : 

After  the  close  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Conference  I  found 
myself  very  much  indisposed.  I  remained  in  Alton  three  days 
and  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  I  remained  until  yesterday 
morning.  Bishop  Simpson  was  with  me  there,  and  the  inter- 
view was  pleasant.  I  heard  him  preach  a  good  sermon  on 
Sunday  morning,  from  the  text,  "  If  a  man  die  shall  he  live 
again?"  The  topics  were,  the  immortality  of  our  souls  and 
the  resurrection  of  our  bodies.  Grand  topics  !  It  is  one  of  my 
old  texts  and  subjects.  Of  course,  we  do  not  preach  alike 
from  the  same  text.  Two  minds  so  unlike  each  other  could 
not  make  two  sermons  alike.  This  was  a  very  excellent  one, 
and  made  a  deep  and  good  impression  on  the  audience. 

The  whole  country  about  here  is  very  sickly.  In  some  places 
there  are  hardly  enough  well  people  to  take  care  of  the  sick. 
I  am  informed  that  in  some  counties  they  have  been  unable  to 
hold  the  courts  on  account  of  the  prevailing  sickness.  .  .  . 

I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  your  sister  Lottie.  I  pre- 
sume a  little  angel,  with  words  of  love,  is  winging  his  way  here 
from  Mount  Wesley.  I  have  a  very  strong  home  feeling  these 
days.  I  want  to  come  and  bask  again  in  the  beams  of  the 
bright  blue  eyes  that  are  there.  The  looks  of  tenderness  and 


190  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

words  of  love  I  find  there  are  a  very  fragrant  ointment  to  my 
soul.  With  me,  "There  is  no  place  like  home."  I,  however, 
have  some  very  important  duties  to  perform  before  I  can  visit 
my  sweet  home.  I  must  address  myself  to  them  in  the  name 
and  strength  of  God.  It  makes  coming  home  much  more 
pleasant  when  I  can  feel  that  my  duty  is  all  well  performed — 
my  official  obligations  all  met. 

Obliged  in  December  to  make  a  journey  west- 
ward and  to  leave  Mrs.  Janes  ill,  he  writes  her: 

It  made  me  feel  sad,  as  it  always  does,  to  leave  you  sick 
yesterday.  But  my  obligation  to  leave  was  imperious.  I  could, 
therefore,  do  no  otherwise  than  commend  you  to  God,  and 
prosecute  my  duties  to  the  Church.  I  recollect  in  the  days  of 
our  courtship  (days  of  fragrant  reminiscences  and  sweetest 
memories)  you  talked  about  taking  your  Maker  as  your  hus- 
band. I  do  not  know  but  you  will  have  to  do  so  yet.  Well,  I 
shall  not  be  jealous  of  him  ;  you  can  love  him,  and  cherish  his 
society,  and  seek  his  most  intimate  fellowship  without  objection 
on  my  part.  Indeed,  I  pray  that  he  will  shelter  you  in  his 
pavilion,  that  he  will  cover  you  with  his  feathers,  that  he  will 
make  his  abode  with  you,  that  he  will  be  the  portion  of  your 
heart  and  your  rejoicing  forever.  If  God  dwells  with  you,  you 
will  be  happy,  whether  any  one  else  is  with  you  or  not.  All 
others  are  inferiors.  "Where  he  vital  breathes  there  must  be 
joy."  May  his  smile  gild  with  perpetual  sunshine  the  habita- 
tion and  the  heart  of  my  dear  wife. 


LETTERS  FROM  BALTIMORE.  191 


CHAPTER  XI. 
1856. 

Baltimore  and  New  England — General  Conference  of  1856  ; 
Slavery  Agitation — Iowa,  Illinois,  Indiana. 

THE  first  glimpse  which  we  have  of  the  Bishop 
in  1856  is  in  a  letter  of  February  20,  in  which 
he  recommends  to  Dr.  Durbin  a  north-western  tour 
of  visitation  for  Pastor  Hedstrom,  the  founder  of 
Methodist  missions  among  the  Scandinavians.  The 
"  pastor"  ever  found  a  wise  counselor  and  sympa- 
thizing friend  in  Bishop  Janes,  and  it  will  never  be 
fully  known  how  much  his  success  was  due  to  the 
clear  head  and  open  hand  of  the  Bishop. 

According  to  the  General  Minutes,  Bishop  Janes 
did  not  hold  any  of  the  spring  Conferences  of  this 
year,  except  the  New  England.  But,  as  usual,  he 
was  present  at  several  of  them,  assisting  those 
Bishops  especially  who  were  in  ill  health.  From 
the  session  of  the  Baltimore  Conference,  held  in  old 
Light-street  church,  Baltimore,  on  March  5,  he 
writes  to  his  wife  : 

Lewis  started  with  me  at  four  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning 
and  brought  me  to  Morristown  in  season  for  the  early  train. 
I  arrived  in  Newark  in  time  to  take  the  eight  o'clock  A.  M. 
train  for  this  city.  As  you  well  know,  yesterday  was  a  most 


192  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

beautiful  day.  My  early  ride  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  It 
was  decidedly  one  of  the  most  lovely  morning  scenes  I  ever 
saw.  The  day-break  was  mellow  and  rich  beyond  descrip- 
tion. The  morning  star  seemed  like  a  diamond  divinely  set  in 
the  radiant  diadem  of  morning.  The  earth  beautifully  robed 
in  emblematic  white,  the  heavens  thickly  studded  with  twink- 
ling gems,  the  gates  of  day  opening  wider  and  wider,  and  the 
flood  of  light  spreading  farther  and  farther  and  glowing 
brighter  and  brighter,  while  all  around  was  serene  and  all 
within  was  calm.  I  felt  truly  devotional  and  happy,  having  not 
only  the  inspiration  of  nature,  but  I  believe  also  the  inspiration 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  .  .  . 

This  large  Conference  met  this  morning.  Bishops  Waugh 
and  Scott  are  in  somewhat  improved  health.  I  do  not  think 
they  can  endure  much  fatigue.  ...  I  should  much  like  to  look 
into  the  bee-hive  at  home  this  morning.  I  wonder  if  you  are 
all  as  orderly  and  industrious  and  sweet  as  the  honey-making 
and  honey-eating  bees.  Have  you  any  room  to  spare  ?  Can 
you  entertain  a  few  angels  ?  They  do  not  require  much  room, 
nor  are  they  very  particular  about  their  accommodations. 
They  have  more  respect  to  their  treatment  than  to  their  cir- 
cumstances. 

During  the  session  Bishop  Janes  preached  a  mis- 
sionary sermon,  made  a  speech  at  the  Conference 
missionary  anniversary,  and  also  preached  a  sermon 
to  local  preachers.  In  reference  to  this  he  says : 
"  I  preached  yesterday  to  a  larger  number  of  local 
preachers  and  a  larger  audience,  with  more  freedom 
and  a  little  less  time,  than  when  you  heard  me 
preach  to  the  local  preachers  in  New  York."  In 
this  sermon  he  not  only  set  forth  the  historical  po- 
sition of  "  local  preachers,"  and  their  importance  as 
an  integral  part  of  the  Church's  organization,  but  also 


LETTERS  FROM  NEW  ENGLAND.         193 

sought  to  inspire  them  with  a  high  ideal  of  their 
vocation,  and  to  encourage  them  to  the  greatest 
efficiency  by  study  and  application. 

The  following  letter  to  Mrs.  Janes  shows  how 
the  death  of  a  missionary  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  South,  returned  from  China,  touched 
his  heart.  It  was  written  from  the  Conference 
Room,  March  18  : 

I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  yesterday,  informing  me 
of  the  peaceful  end  of  Brother  Belden.  Heaven  is  enriched. 
He  is  glorified.  Possibly  the  militant  Church  has  not  suffered 
loss.  For  aught  we  know,  disembodied  saints  may  be  as  use- 
ful missionaries  as  embodied  ones.  I  regret  I  could  not  have 
been  present  to  have  witnessed  the  closing  scene.  Others 
were  there  who  could  minister  to  his  necessities,  and  it  seems 
he  found  the  grace  of  God  sufficient  for  him.  May  his  wife 
and  children  ever  prove  its  sufficiency!  I  am  very  glad  Dr. 
Stevenson  and  Brother  Cross  saw  him  before  he  died.  Let 
him  be  buried  in  our  vault. 

From  the  New  England  Conference,  Salem, 
Mass.,  March  31,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

I  have  reached  this  place,  the  seat  of  the  New  England  Con- 
ference. I  had  a  safe  passage  ;  a  little  delayed  by  an  accident 
to  a  freight  train.  Reached  Boston  in  time  to  go  and  hear 
Mr.  Gough.  His  description  of  water  was  very  fine — eloquent. 
The  address  was  well  received.  But  such  anecdote-telling, 
fun-making  speeches,  will  never  permanently  establish  a  great 
moral  cause  which  has  to  battle  against  man's  cupidity  and 
depraved  appetites.  As  we  have  all  classes  to  deal  with,  we 
need  all  kinds  of  agents  to  act  upon  them.  Mr.  Gough  has 
his  sphere.  The  temperance  cause  has  a  revived  interest  in 
Boston.  I  hope  it  will  be  generous  and  continuous.  It  is  a 


194  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

blessed  moral  enterprise  ;  but  needs  the  influence  of  the  Church 
to  give  it  a  final  triumph. 

I  trust  cold,  stormy  March,  as  it  recedes,  like  the  retiring 
storm  cloud,  will  be  in  your  sight  gilded  with  the  bow  of 
promise,  the  emblem  of  hope.  As  for  me,  I  am  determined 
to  hope  on,  hope  ever.  Despair,  or  even  despondency,  has  but 
one  dwelling-place  he  can  properly  call  his  own,  and  that  is 
perdition.  Whenever  he  visits  any  one  out  of  hell  he  is  an 
intruder.  No  person  should  despond  who  is  where  universal 
love  reigns.  Any  person  who  is  within  sight  of  mercy's  scep- 
ter may  hope — hope  joyfully,  hope  triumphantly,  hope  always, 
hope  savingly. 

From  Salem,  Massachusetts,  to  his  three  daugh- 
ters, April  4 : 

The  circumstance  of  the  sisters  and  brother  all  being  at 
home  next  summer  will  be  a  very  happy  one.  Mother  and  her 
children  will  make  a  beautiful  circle  of  "domestic  love  and  in- 
tercourse. I  wish  I  could  be  permitted  to  be  with  them.  But 
duty — duty  to  the  Church,  duty  to  God,  will  require  me  to  deny 
myself  this  great  pleasure.  Well,  duty  before  pleasure,  always 
and  in  all  circumstances ;  yes,  and  at  all  costs,  and  every 
sacrifice.  But  stop — perhaps  I  am  mistaken ;  duty  before 
pleasure  ?  To  a  well-regulated  mind  and  a  Christian  heart  duty 
is  pleasure.  Such  characters  are  happy  when  discharging 
duty,  however  painful  the  circumstances,  however  severe  the 
sacrifices.  Hence  the  martyrs  were  happy  in  the  flames — 
hence  modern  missionaries,  leaving  friends  and  country  and 
home  comforts,  are  happy  in  going  to  the  degraded  and  per- 
ishing heathen.  Duty  and  pleasure  were  married  in  Eden,  and 
God  has  never  divorced  them,  and  never  will.  This  relation 
will  exist  both  in  time  and  during  eternity.  Neither  in  this 
world  nor  the  next  shall  we  be  happy  only  in  the  sphere  of  duty. 

Another  General  Conference  was  now  at  hand, 
and  Bishop  Janes  is  found  at  Cincinnati,  at  a  meet- 


LETTERS  FROM  CINCINNATI.  195 

ing  of  the  Bishops  preparing  for  the  session.  While 
engaged  with  his  colleagues  he  must  step  aside  to 
advocate  the  claims  of  Irish  Methodism  upon  the 
benefactions  of  American  Methodism.  From  the 
advent  of  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Arthur  and  Scott,  dele- 
gates from  the  Irish  Conference,  then  in  this  coun- 
try, they  had  received  his  warmest  sympathy  and 
aid.  He  thus  alludes  to  the  Cincinnati  meeting, 
April  28: 

Yesterday  was  a  day  of  some  anxiety.  The  meeting  of  the 
Churches  in  behalf  of  Ireland  was  felt  to  be  an  important  one. 
To  me  was  assigned  the  task  of  the  concluding  speech  and 
asking  for  the  collection.  I  was  very  reluctant  to  undertake  it, 
but  could  not  well  avoid  it.  The  audience  was  respectable, 
though  not  so  large  as  was  anticipated.  The  Irish  brothers 
made  good  addresses.  I  spoke  only  about  ten  minutes  and 
asked  for  the  .collection.  We  raised  about  two  thousand  dol- 
lars. More  was  anticipated.  The  meeting  was  ftot  enthusi- 
astic. I  do  not  blame  myself,  for  I  did  as  well  as  I  could 
under  the  circumstances. 

From  Cincinnati,  April  30: 

I  have  had  no  time  to  look  for  nature's  fresh  attractions 
here.  It  has  been  work,  work,  write,  write,  all  the  time.  We 
start  now  in  a  few  minutes  for  Indianapolis.  I  shall  probably 
be  so  engrossed  for  the  first  few  days  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence as  to  be  unable  to  write  to  you,  so  I  take  this  opportunity 
to  manifest  my  mindfulness  and  regard  for  my  cherished  wife 
and  beloved  children.  So  I  go  from  one  scene  of  excitement 
to  another.  Well,  it  is  burning  out.  But  I  had  rather  be  a 
candle  in  the  Church  than  any  thing  else.  I  wish  my  light  was 
stronger  and  clearer.  It  is  a  great  privilege  to  throw  even  a 
few  rays  athwart  the  reigning  darkness  of  this  sinful  world. 


196  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

My  health  is  as  good  as  usual.  I  expect  my  ride  through  the 
country  to  Indianapolis  this  afternoon  will  do  me  good.  I  may 
see  some  flowers.  I  shall  doubtless  feel  the  fresh  breeze. 

The  twelfth  delegated  General  Conference  assem- 
bled at  the  State  House  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana, 
May  i,  1856.  All  the  Bishops  were  present.  The 
Episcopal  Address  wa§  read  by  Bishop  Janes.  The 
Church  was  again  much  excited  on  the  slavery  ques- 
tion. The  advanced  antislavery  sentiment  demand- 
ed such  a  change  in  the  General  Rule  on  Slavery 
as  to  forbid  slave-holding  in  the  Church.  Resolu- 
tions proposing  this  change  had  originated  with 
several  of  the  Annual  Conferences,  but  each  failed 
of  a  majority  of  three  fourths  of  the  ministers.  In 
view  of  which,  the  address  says,  "We  think  it  to  be 
our  duty  to  express  our  strong  doubts  whether,  in 
view  of  the  restricted  powers  of  a  delegated  General 
Conference,  any  measure  equivalent  to  a  change  in 
the  General  Rules  can  be  constitutionally  adopted 
without  the  concurrence  of  the  Annual  Conferences. 
As  to  the  propriety  of  any  modifications  not  of  such 
a  character  as  to  conflict  with  the  constitutional 
economy  of  the  Church,  while  opinions  and  views 
may  be  various,  we  can  fully  confide  in  the  wisdom 
of  this  General  Conference  as  the  supreme  council 
of  the  Church." 

It  cannot  be  doubted  but  that  this  deliverance 
did  much  to  moderate  the  spirit  and  restrain  the 
action  of  the  General  Conference,  so  that  at  this 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1856.          197 

session  no  change  was  made  either  in  the  General 
Rule  or  in  the  Chapter  on  Slavery.  The  question, 
however,  was  the  pivot  about  which  the  most  ani- 
mated debates  revolved  and  the  choice  of  officers 
took  place.  Here  and  there  Bishop  Janes's  solici- 
tude on  the  subject  crops  out  in  his  home  corre- 
spondence. 

Indianapolis,  May  3,  to  Mrs.  Janes : 

.  .  .  The  General  Conference  is  proceeding  about  as  usual. 
The  great  questions  of  general  interest  have  not  yet  been  acted 
on.  I  have  some  fear  as  to  the  results.  Still  I  have  hope  in 
God.  The  Lord  loves  the  Church.  I  believe  he  loves  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  With  all  its  imperfections  I  be- 
lieve the  Church  is  still  useful.  I  hope  and  pray  and  labor  for 
the  peace  of  Israel.  I  believe  this  world  will  be  converted  yet, 
but  I  fear  not  so  soon  as  1  desire  and  have  been  accustomed 
to  hope. 

May  5,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

On  Saturday  your  husband  read  the  Quadrennial  Episcopal 
Address.  It  has,  perhaps,  been  acceptable  to  the  majority,  but 
has  been  very  severely  criticised  by  the  ultra  party  and  strongly 
denounced.  Still  it  will  do  good.  We  have  the  prospect  of  a 
stormy  session.  The  result  I  cannot  foresee.  My  hope  for 
the  Church  is  in  God. 

May  16,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

I  have  been,  to  some  extent,  casting  off  my  anxieties  for  the 
issues  of  General  Conference  doings.  I  have  been  trying  to 
feel  that  the  Church  is  not  mine,  but  belongs  to  God,  and  that 
his  love  and  wisdom  and  power  are  all  engaged  to  perpetuate 
and  prosper  it.  Still  I  cannot  but  feel  that  a  great  responsi- 
bility rests  upon  me  and  upon  the  General  Conference.  There 


198  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

is  much  uncertainty  yet  as  to  the  results  of  the  session.  The 
prospect  is  not  encouraging  as  to  the  unity  or  peace  of  the 
Church.  What  may  be  the  position  of  the  Church,  or  my  po- 
sition when  the  Conference  adjourns,  I  cannot  tell.  I  must 
wait  the  action  of  the  Conference,  and  then  govern  my  action 
as  wisely  and  religiously  as  I  can.  I  am  hoping  for  the  best. 
My  hope  is  in  God,  and  to  him  I  lift  my  eyes  and  address  my 
prayers. 

To  the  same,  May  19 : 

The  General  Conference  is  approaching  its  great  and  excit- 
ing questions.  I  fear,  but  still  hope.  The  prospect  is  not 
cheering.  If  I  did  not  believe  God  loved  the  Methodist  Church 
I  should  be  discouraged.  But  I  believe  the  Methodist  Church 
was  planted  by  the  power  of  God,  has  been  superintended  by 
the  special  providence  of  God,  and  is  still  beloved  as  the  pur- 
chase of  Christ's  blood.  The  Church  has  defects,  many  defi- 
ciencies, but  is  still  the  most  efficient  branch  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Great  will  be  the  loss  to  our  poor,  sinful  humanity 
when  her  force  is  broken,  her  efficiency  lessened.  I  hope  the 
Church  will  come  out  of  these  struggles  unharmed.  If  so,  I 
shall  greatly  rejoice  and  give  thanks.  The  Conference  is  now 
discussing  the  presiding  elder  question.  It  is  understood  the 
report  on  slavery  will  come  up  to-morrow.  It  will  be  my  turn 
to  preside.  I  expect  an  excited  time. 

There  seems  to  be  a  good  religious  interest  in  the  Confer- 
ence and  in  the  meetings.  The  preaching  has  generally  been 
excellent.  I  judge  the  General  Conference  is  making  a  good 
impression  on  the  public  mind.  The  general  issues,  however, 
are  what  create  my  anxieties.  God  reigns.  That  is  the  joy 
and  hope  of  my  heart. 

To  the  same,  May  26 : 

I  have  been  hoping  that  by  this  time  I  might  be  able  to  an- 
ticipate the  period  of  adjournment,  but  I  am  not  able.  We  are 
yet  a  troubled,  perplexed  body,  and  no  definite  conclusions  on 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1856.    199 

the  great  questions  are  yet  agreed  upon.  Indeed,  I  am  sorry 
to  say  that  the  prospect  of  the  peace  and  unity  of  the  Church 
does  not  brighten.  But  I  must  leave  this  to  the  great  Head 
of  the  Church.  I  still  look  to  him  to  protect  and  preserve  the 
Church  which  he  has  bought  with  the  price  of  blood — sacred 
blood — vicarious  sufferings. 

To  the  same,  May  29 : 

There  is  a  probability  that  the  vote  on  the  slavery  question 
will  be  taken  to-day.  If  so,  there  will  be  a  great  press  of 
business  until  the  Conference  adjourns— no  rest  day  or  night. 
I  have  hope  now  that  the  Church  will  not  be  dissevered, 
though  some  trouble  may  arise  on  the  border  in  consequence 
of  the  action  of  the  Conference.  Still  I  cannot  decide  positively 
until  after  the  vote  is  taken.  If  I  am  disappointed  in  the  vote  I 
will  write  you  by  next  mail. 

The  vote,  when  taken,  failed  of  a  two  thirds  or 
constitutional  majority,  and  so  the  Bishop's  fears 
were  relieved. 

In  one  of  his  letters  the  Bishop  makes  allusion  to 
the  leave-taking  of  Drs.  Hannah  and  Jobson,  the 
delegates  of  the  British  Wesleyan  Conference  : 

Dr.  Hannah  and  Mr.  Jobson  have  just  taken  their  leave 
of  the  Conference  in  a  most  affectionate  and  impressive  man- 
ner. Bishop  Waugh  responded  most  felicitously.  Their  visit 
has  been  a  useful  one.  Their  memory  will  be  fragrant  with 
those  who  have  had  intercourse  with  them.  They  are  ex- 
cellent specimens  of  Methodist  ministers — true  embassadors 
of  Christ. 

Apart  from  the  slavery  question,  there  is  little 
reference  in  the  Bishop's  correspondence  to  the  im- 
portant measures  which  came  before  the  General 


200  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Conference.  His  active  interest  in  them  cannot  be 
doubted.  But  it  is  pleasing  to  read,  during  all  this 
season  of  anxiety,  his  kindly  effusions  to  the  home 
circle.  Only  a  few  extracts  can  be  given. 

To  Miss  Elizabeth,  May  9  : 

I  am  much  pleased  that  you  have  hung  up  my  image  in  the 
gallery  of  your  memory,  so  that  you  can  carry  it  about  with 
you,  and  ever  and  anon  look  at  it  when  we  are  distant  from  each 
other.  Every  member  of  my  family  is  most  accurately  da- 
guerreotyped  upon  my  mind.  I  have  a  very  beautiful  picture 
gallery  in  one  of  the  chambers  of  my  soul.  I  have  several 
beautiful  likenesses  there.  The  eye  of  affection,  the  hand  of 
love,  and  the  skill  of  nature  were  employed  in  drawing  them. 
I  admire  them  enthusiastically.  I  look  at  them  very  often. 
Even  in  the  midnight  darkness  my  waking  vision  is  greatly 
delighted  in  looking  at  them. 

To  Miss  Charlotte,  under  the  same  date  : 

Practice  is  necessary  to  perfection  in  any  pursuit  of  indus- 
try. You  know  that  practice  is  necessary  in  writing,  in  order 
to  the  acquisition  of  a  good  style.  Learning  all  the  rules  in 
the  books  will  not  make  a  good  writer  without  personal  prac- 
tice. So  it  is  in  culinary  and  house-keeping  pursuits.  Noth- 
ing but  practice  can  make  perfect.  And  skill  in  domestic 
duties  is  necessary  to  qualify  a  lady  for  the  ordinary  respon- 
sibilities of  the  relations  of  domestic  life.  ...  I  am  highly 
gratified  that  my  daughter  is  so  interested  in  her  literary  pur- 
suits. I  do  not  wish  to  lessen  her  ardor  in  the  cultivation  of 
her  mind.  I  shall  cheerfully  afford  her  all  the  advantages  I 
can  in  prosecuting»her  education. 

May  22,  on  receiving  from  Tillie  the  first  letter, 
written  by  herself: 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1856.         201 

It  is  a  very  good  specimen  of  penmanship.  ...  I  am  even 
better  pleased  with  the  contents  than  with  the  execution  of 
the  letter.  Bishop  Morris  was  with  me  when  I  read  it,  and  I 
showed  it  to  him.  He  said,  "  It  is  short  and  sweet."  Indeed 
it  is  sweet — sweet  as  love.  That,  you  know,  is  the  sweetest 
thing  in  the  world.  I  believe  your  little  heart  is  full  of  it. 
You  have  a  great  deal  for  dear  mamma  and  papa  and  brother 
and  sisters  ;  some  for  the  flowers,  some  for  the  sweet  sunshine, 
some  for  the  beautiful  moonlight,  some  for  the  twinkling  stars. 
I  think  Tillie  loves  every  thing  beautiful  and  good.  I  hope 
Tillie  has  much  love  for  her  studies,  for  her  books,  and  espe- 
cially for  her  Testament.  And  I  hope  especially  that  she  has  a 
heart  overflowing  with  love  to  her  blessed  Saviour,  to  Jesus. 
You  cannot  love  him  too  much.  No,  indeed,  you  cannot  love 
him  enough,  even  though  you  love  him  with  all  your  heart. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  May  26 : 

Reciprocal  love  from  those  we  deem  worthy  of  our  love  is 
an  elevated  source  of  delight.  Few  pleasures  equal  it.  This 
is  the  highest  joy  in  religion.  The  Holy  Spirit  assuring  us 
that  the  infinite  God  we  love  loves  us,  delights  in  us,  looks  upon 
us  complacently,  loves  with  an  unchanging  love,  with  an  eter- 
nal love.  The  next  highest  and  purest  source  of  moral  pleas- 
ure is  mutual  conjugal  affection — the  tenderest,  the  most  inti- 
mate, the  most  confiding  of  human  affections.  I  am  very 
thankful  for  the  large  measure  of  this  happiness  with  which  I 
have  been  and  still  am  blessed. 

This  little  disquisition  was  a  good  preparation  for 
the  announcement  which  soon  follows.  For  a 
Bishop  then  to  make  the  tour  to  the  Pacific  coast 
meant  something : 

I  shall  feel  it  my  duty  to  go  to  California  and  Oregon.  I 
have  resisted  the  arrangement  as  long  as  I  could  consistently 
with  ministerial  obligations  or  my  peace  of  conscience.  It  is  a 


202  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

severe  trial.  I  should  be  extremely  thankful  if  my  divine  Mas- 
ter would  excuse  me.  But  the  indications  of  Providence  are 
such  that  I  believe  it  to  be  the  will  of  my  heavenly  Father  that 
I  should  visit  that  distant  field  of  ministerial  service.  If  it  be 
his  will  it  will  be  better  for  me  to  go,  and  also  better  for  my 
family,  than  that  I  should  refuse  to  go.  The  path  of  duty  is 
the  path  of  safety.  God's  will  is  always  good. 

The  Bishop's  autumn  Conferences  for  1856  were 
the  Upper  Iowa,  the  Peoria,  and  the  North-western 
Indiana.  During  the  summer  an  accident  had  oc- 
curred to  Miss  Charlotte,  the  eldest  daughter,  by 
which  her  life  was  endangered,  and  from  which  she 
suffered  a  protracted  illness.  From  his  Western 
journey,  on  which  his  son  accompanied  him,  he 
thus  writes  to  her,  August  22  : 

I  have  been  debating  in  my  mind  to  whom  the  next  epistle 
belonged.  Keeping  up  the  old  practice  of  rotation,  it  belongs 
to  Lizzie  ;  but  all  general  rules  have  their  exceptions.  As  you 
are  the  most  afflicted  one  at  home  I  think  the  law  of  sympathy 
entitles  you  to  receive  it.  I  believe  suffering  has  a  claim  that 
can  only  be  set  aside  by  more  intense  suffering.  So  when 
Lizzie  or  Tillie  become  a  greater  sufferers  they  shall  receive 
the  same  sympathetic  consideration.  I  hope,  however,  that 
your  severe  sufferings  are  past.  The  extreme  sensitiveness, 
the  indescribable  restlessness,  the  unpleasant  apprehension 
which  one  in  such  a  state  feels,  is  very  hard  to  be  borne.  I 
know  more  of  what  you  have  felt  than  you  suppose  I  do. 
Often  have  I  felt  it.  Even  in  public  sometimes  it  requires  the 
utmost  effort  to  maintain  a  discipline  over  my  feelings  and  my 
conduct.  Certainly  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  your 
nervous  system  should  suffer  by  such  an  affliction  as  you  have 
endured.  I  think  that  you  have  exercised  unusual  moral 
courage  and  self-control.  I  trust  your  fortitude  will  not  fail 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  WEST.  203 

you,  and  that  your  patience  and  resignation  will  continue  as 
long  as  your  affliction  shall  call  for  their  exercise.  I  am  sure 
this  will  be  the  case  if  you  call  upon  the  Mighty  for  strength, 
and  upon  the  Comforter  for  support  and  consolation. 

From  Maquoketa,  la.,  another  word  of  cheer  to 
the  invalid  daughter : 

How  are  you  this  morning  ?  Did  you  have  a  pleasant  Sab- 
bath yesterday — some  good  thoughts  and  sweet  devotional 
feelings  ?  I  trust  so.  Jesus  can  meet  us  and  smile  on  us  and 
bless  us  in  the  sick-room  as  well  as  in  the  sanctuary.  I 
preached  yesterday  to  a  multitude  of  preachers  and  people  in 
the  grove.  It  was  a  bright,  beautiful  day.  I  had  no  thought 
of  a  letter  from  Lottie.  It  was  a  very  great  pleasure  to  receive 
it.  I  hope  you  will  live  to  write  a  great  many  more  to  me  and 
to  others. 

From  Aurora,  111.,  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  Sept.  5  : 

I  reached  here  yesterday  expecting  to  receive  a  line  from 
home,  but  found  none.  I  hope  that  the  lingering  letter  will 
soon  come  to  hand.  I  wish  I  had  some  way  to  put  spurs  to 
the  tardy  mail  out  West.  Certainly  it  is  provokingly  slow. 
But  Christians  must  have  patience.  They  should  never  be 
peevish  and  pettish,  but  meek  and  patient.  I  fear  the  irregu- 
larities of  the  mails  have  made  my  letters,  like  angel  visits, 
"  few  and  far  between."  By  the  by,  I  do  not  believe  the  doc- 
trine contained  in  this  poetic  quotation.  To  the  good  it  cer- 
tainly is  not  applicable.  "  The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth 
round  about  them  that  fear  him,  and  delivereth  them."  They 
[the  angels]  are  all  ministering  spirits  to  them  who  are  heirs 
of  salvation.  Concerning  little  children  :  "  Their  angels  do 
always  behold  the  face  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Thus 
the  Bible,  versus  poetry,  teaches  us  the  angels  have  much  to 
do  in  this  world.  I  believe  the  Bible  on  this  subject.  I  think 
they  travel  with  me  sometimes.  I  also  always  expect  to  leave 


204  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

them  about  my  sacred  home  when  I  leave  to  serve  God  and 
his  Church. 

To  Miss  Charlotte,  the  same  date : 

I  am  pleased  that  you  still  have  flowers  blooming  about  you. 
We  have  many  wild  flowers  on  these  wide  prairies.  Some  of 
them  are  really  beautiful.  I  have  always  felt  a  desire  to  bring 
mamma  out  here  to  look  upon  these  grand  prairies.  Her  ad- 
miration of  nature,  I  know,  would  be  highly  gratified.  If  her 
health  had  permitted  I  should  have  invited  her  before  this 
time.  A  love  of  the  beautiful  in  nature  may  be  successfully 
cultivated.  A  journey  through  the  most  interesting  parts  of 
our  country,  as  Lewey  says,  "  will  pay."  It  would  be  a  source 
of  improvement  as  well  as  pleasure,  both  of  which  I  hope  my 
dear  daughters  will  share  one  of  these  days.  A  good  time 
coming,  is  it  not  ?  Yes,  yes,  you  are  not  to  be  always  shut  up 
in  a  sick-room.  There  is  a  wide  range  of  thought,  of  knowl- 
edge, of  observation,  of  action,  of  pleasure,  before  you.  A 
wide  range  in  this  world,  and  when  you  get  your  wings,  and 
wide  heaven  opens  before  you  its  range,  I  cannot  imagine  how 
far  you  will  sail  or  high  you  will  rise.  Eternity  spent  on  the 
wing  will  afford  a  wonderful  opportunity  to  see  and  enjoy.  I 
hope  we  will  have  a  fine  sail  together  on  those  illimitable  plains 
of  glory.  We  will  never  tire  or  stop.  We  will  take  the  family 
and  a  few  good  angels  with  us. 

To  Tillie,  September  8  : 

I  spend/  a  part  of  my  time  with  the  family  where  Bishop 
Simpson  puts  up.  They  have  a  little  lady  there  just  about 
your  age.  She  is  a  sprightly  little  miss.  She  has  two  pets. 
What  do  you  think  they  are?  They  are  two  little  kittens. 
Oae  is  named  Rose  and  the  other  Lily.  Lily  is  black  and 
white.  Is  not  that  a  very  singular  lily — a  black  and  white  one  ? 
Did  you  ever  see  such  a  one  ?  I  never  did  before.  She  is  very 
fond  of  them,  and  plays  with  them  very  much.  Yet  one  of 
them  scratched  her  yesterday,  and  made  her  cry.  I  wonder 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  WEST.  205 

if  Tillie  would  not  like  a  kitten  for  a  pet.  She  has,  however, 
so  many  playthings,  and  so  many  things  to  interest  her,  that  I 
suppose  a  kitten  would  not  add  much  to  her  happiness.  Tillie 
loves  to  work,  too,  and  that  is  better  than  playing  with  kittens 
or  any  thing  else.  How  about  the  lessons  ?  Do  they  get  some 
attention  ?  Does  Tillie  learn  them,  and  dear  Lottie  hear  them  ? 
I  fancy  this  is  so  every  day.  This  is  one  of  the  varieties  that 
makes  home  pleasant,  gives  Tillie  a  useful  exercise,  and  Lottie 
a  little  change  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  her  long  confinement. 

To  Miss  Elizabeth,  from  Peoria,  September  15  : 

I  preached  yesterday  morning  with  some  satisfaction  to  my- 
self, and,  I  hope,  some  profit  to  the  people.  The  audience  was 
very  large  and  attentive.  In  the  afternoon  Dr.  Foster  preached 
a  most  admirable  sermon.  ...  I  listen  to  the  Conference 
speeches  patiently,  whether  they  are  pertinent  or  not.  Some 
of  them,  certainly,  are  not  remarkably  eloquent  or  direct,  but, 
if  they  do  no  other  good,  they  satisfy  those  who  make  them; 
that,  you  know,  is  an  important  point  gained. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Peoria,  September  18: 

So  far  as  I  can  see  and  learn,  the  Church  in  the  West  is  in 
most  respects  prosperous.  Political  agitations  are  very  violent. 
Speculations  are  very  rife ;  these  disturb,  and  in  some  instances 
even  distract,  the  Church.  But  still,  as  a  whole,  the  Church 
is  increasing  in  all  the  elements  of  power  and  progress.  Our 
Church  is  exhibiting  very  commendable  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
education.  If  the  present  political  agitation  that  is  shaking  our 
country  passes  over  without  revolution,  this  western  part  of 
our  national  domain  must  become  very  populous,  wealthy,  and 
powerful.  If  it  becomes  proportionately  religious  it  will  be 
well  for  them  and  the  world.  The  Methodist  Church  has  a 
vast  responsibility  in  this  matter.  I  pray  that  she  may  heed  it ! 

From  the  seat  of  the  Iowa  Conference  the  Bishop 
writes  to  Miss  Charlotte,  September  24: 


206  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

I  hope  we  may  have  a  short  and  useful  session,  but  I  have 
some  little  apprehension,  as  there  seems  to  be  quite  a  disposi- 
tion to  talk.  There  are  a  number  of  old  preachers  in  the 
Conference  who  feel  privileged  to  do  this. ...  I  wonder  how  you 
busy  yourself  in  your  sick-room.  I  do  not  know  but  it  would 
be  well  for  you  to  get  up  a  little  mischief — not  very  bad  mis- 
chief, you  know — but  just  a  little,  for  the  fun  of  it.  Now  what 
kind  of  mischief  can  you  invent  to  make  yourself  laugh  heart- 
ily ?  Laugh  for  exercise — laugh  until  you  grow  fat.  Let  me 
know  what  kind  you  can  devise.  Perhaps  it  will  do  me  good 
as  well  as  yourself.  I  think  it  does  me  good  to  laugh  as  well 
as  work.  A  little  play,  sometimes,  is  very  desirable  for  body 
and  soul,  for  heart  and  mind.  Now,  to  amuse  one's  self  re- 
quires genius.  Can  you  do  it  ? 

To  the  same,  September  25  : 

If  I  were  at  home  this  morning  I  presume  we  should  talk 
some.  If  I  did  not  talk  spontaneously  I  guess  Lottie  would 
draw  some  talk  out  of  me  by  her  questions.  I  believe  mamma 
thinks  I  am  not  a  gushing  spring,  but  a  deep  well,  the  water 
of  which  must  all  be  pumped  out.  I  am  sorry  it  is  so.  I  ad- 
mire a  bubbling  spring  very  much.  A  gushing,  living,  limpid 
fountain  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  objects  in 
nature.  Still,  the  deep  fountains  that  run  under  ground  and 
make  no  gurgling  sound  or  murmuring  music,  may  at  least 
supply  to  some  extent  the  deficiency  of  gushing  springs  and 
surface  fountains,  if  those  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  be 
without  these  richer  blessings  will  make  some  effort  to  render 
them  available.  I  am  afraid  that  it  costs  more  than  it  comes 
to  to  draw  conversation  out  of  me.  Still  I  am  so  constituted 
that  I  fear  nothing  but  pumping  can  draw  it  from  me.  I  wish 
I  could  make  myself  different  in  many  respects,  but  I  am  grow- 
ing to  be  an  old  man.  I  apprehend  my  friends  cannot  antici- 
pate much  improvement  in  me,  except  religious  improvement. 
I  hope  to  grow  in  grace,  in  moral  excellence,  in  Christian  pu- 
rity as  long  as  I  live.  Still  my  purpose  to  cultivate  my  con- 
versational powers  is  as  strong  as  ever. 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  WEST.  207 

To  Miss  Elizabeth,  from  same  point,  Sept.  26 : 

Yesterday  Dr.  Durbin,  Dr.  Floy,  and  Dr.  Porter,  Book  Agent, 
arrived.  Was  not  that  a  rich  cargo  of  doctors?  We  shall 
have  some  big  speeches  from  them.  They  brought  me  the 
melancholy  intelligence  of  the  early  demise  of  Rev.  T.  F.  R. 
Mercein.  It  was  astounding  and  afflictive  news.  I  saw  him 
the  day  I  left  New  York.  "  Death  loves  a  shining  mark!"  It 
certainly  hit  a  shining  mark  in  this  instance.  He  was  a  noble 
youth,  a  true  Christian,  an  able  and  improving  and  promising 
minister.  His  loss  will  be  great  to  the  Church. 

To  Miss  Lizzie,  from  Mount  Pleasant,  Sept.  29 : 

I  preached  yesterday  with  considerable  freedom.  The  house 
was  densely  crowded,  and  the  service  interesting.  Dr.  Durbin 
preached  a  very  beautiful  and  effective  sermon  in  the  afternoon. 
His  text  was,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world."  This  has  not  been  so  harmonious, 
courteous,  and  devotional  a  session  as  we  are  sometimes  fa- 
vored with.  No  serious  difficulty,  but  little  irritations  and  jars. 
I  am  beginning  to  feel  as  if  in  point  of  time  I  am  almost  home. 
It  will  be  a  jubilant  hour  when  I  reach  Mount  Wesley.  I  want 
a  little  autumn  pleasure  with  my  family  before  we  remove  to 
the  city.  I  do  enjoy  those  rural  scenes  and  pleasures.  1  grow 
young  when  I  am  amid  them. 

In  a  letter  to  Miss  Charlotte  the  Bishop  relates  a 
remarkable  instance  of  liberal  giving: 

1  yesterday  dined  with  a  plain  family  of  good  parents  and 
children.  We  dined  in  the  basement.  The  carpet  was  spread 
on  the  ground.  For  partitions  in  the  house  they  had  blankets 
hung  up.  Yet  their  center-table  had  some  good  books.  The 
gentleman  of  the  house  this  year  supports  three  missionaries, 
also  gives  five  hundred  dollars  to  the  parent  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, and  five  hundred  dollars  to  the  Sunday-School  Union. 
Is  not  that  noble?  I  love  to  find  such  spirits.  They  make 


208  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

me  form  a  higher  estimate  of  humanity.     Especially  do  they 
give  me  more  encouraging  views  of  the  inspiring  power  of 

Christianity. 

His  movements  were  now  eastward.  From  Craw- 
fordsville,  Indiana,  the  seat  of  the  North-western 
Indiana  Conference,  he  discourses  to  Miss  Charlotte 
of  himself,  of  autumn,  and  on  how  to  amuse  the 
sick.  The  letter  is  dated  October  6: 

Your  description  of  the  parting  scene  of  Miss  September  is 
very  graphic.  Her  leave-taking  of  us  in  the  West  was  more 
amiable.  For  two  or  three  days  previous  she  had  been  fitful 
and  passionate ;  sometimes  weeping,  and  sometimes  even  howl- 
ing. Sometimes  she  put  on  a  dark  and  scowling  face,  and 
sometimes  smiled  very  brightly.  But  the  closing  interview  was 
very  agreeable ;  she  was  quite  complacent.  As  she  withdrew  her 
face  for  the  last  time  her  countenance  was  radiant  with  bright, 
clear,  sun-light  beauties.  Another,  bearing  her  lovely  name 
and  resembling  very  much  her  person  and  character,  may  visit 
us,  but  it  will  not  be  Miss  September  of  1856.  Her  record  will 
be  a  very  interesting  and  important  document.  It  will  make 
many  ears  tingle  and  many  hearts  quake.  I  fear  she  will  not 
tell  a  very  commendable  story  about  me.  I  did  try  to  be  good, 
and  to  do  right,  and  be  useful  while  in  her  presence,  but  I  have 
so  many  infirmities,  and  make  so  many  mistakes  !  God  knows 
all  the  disadvantages  of  our  present  theater  of  action.  He  un- 
derstands our  frailties.  He  estimates  righteously  our  charac- 
ter and  conduct. 

To  the  same,  October  7 : 

By  the  by,  you  have  not  reported  to  me  any  new  invention 
to  amuse  yourself  or  other  sick  persons.  How  about  this 
matter?  Are  you  not  going  to  be  the  patroness  of  the  invalid 
world,  by  inventing  for  them  some  new  diversion,  some  yet 
unknown  amusement,  some  health-giving  pleasure?  Now, 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  WEST.  209 

this  is  a  great  matter.  You  know  there  are  a  great  many  in- 
valids ;  some  made  such  by  casualties,  some  by  diseases,  and 
some  by  morbid  imagination.  Now  to  bless  all  these  classes 
and  cases  by  furnishing  them  something  to  make  them  laugh, 
or,  in  the  cases  of  those  that  belong  to  the  latter  class,  to  even 
enable  them  to  smile,  would  be  a  wonderful  kindness  to  poor 
suffering  humanity.  The  person  who  does  it  will  fill  a  promi- 
nent niche  in  the  temple  of  fame.  I  hope  you  have  not  given 
up  the  effort. 

To  Tillie,  Crawfordsville,  Ind.,  October  10: 

How  is  my  little  pet  this  morning?  Healthy,  happy,  smil- 
ing, singing,  talking?  Has  Jack  Frost  made  you  a  visit  yet? 
Did  you  see  him  before  old  Sol  chased  him  away?  Who  is 
old  Sol?  Get  mamma  to  introduce  you  to  him.  I  think  you 
will  enjoy  his  acquaintance.  He  is  a  very  fine  old  gentleman. 
He  does  a  great  deal  of  good  in  the  world.  I  think  you  have 
seen  Jack  Frost,  with  his  white  hair ;  he  is  a  rather  mischiev- 
ous old  personage;  he  bites  little  girls'  toes  and  fingers  when 
he  can  get  a  nip  at  them.  He  also  destroys  the  flowers  and 
sometimes  the  fruits.  Still,  he  sometimes  does  good.  He 
makes  the  atmosphere  more  pure  and  healthy.  He  increases 
our  strength  and  comfort.  He  makes  our  ice.  This  you  know 
is  very  useful  for  household  comforts.  He  gives  little  girls  and 
boys  their  icy  sliding-places.  Without  him  we  could  have  no 
sleigh-riding.  So  you  see  he  is  not  to  be  despised  or  rejected 
though  he  occasionally  does  a  little  mischief.  Little  girls  and 
boys  must  take  care  of  their  toes  and -fingers  and  ears,  and 
then  they  may  play  with  Jack  Frost,  and  receive  from  him 
many  favors. 


2io  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

1857-1859. 

Visits  the  Pacific  Coast — Trans-Mississippi  Conferences — The 
trouble  at  Bonham,  Texas. 

IT  was  arranged  in  the  episcopal  plan  for  Bishop 
Janes  this  year  (1857)  to  visit  officially  the  Ore- 
gon and  California  Conferences  ;  consequently  but 
little  work  was  assigned  him  in  the  spring  on  the 
Atlantic  coast.  He  held  the  Baltimore  Conference 
in  Baltimore,  March  4-18.  The  Conference,  by  the 
authority  delegated  to  it  from  the  preceding  Gen- 
eral Conference,  was  divided  by  its  own  vote  into 
the  Baltimore  and  East  Baltimore,  and  the  Bishop 
made  out  the  appointments  accordingly.  Bishop 
Janes  at  this  session,  with  his  two  eldest  daughters, 
was  the  guest  of  his  esteemed  friend,  the  Rev.  Will- 
iam Hamilton,  D.D.  From  Baltimore  he  went  to 
the  Providence  Conference,  at  Bristol,  Rhode  Isl- 
and, April  i,  at  the  close  of  which  he  returned  to 
New  York,  and,  after  settling  the  family  at  Mount 
Wesley,  began  at  once  his  preparations  for  the  tour 
to  the  Pacific  coast.  The  "  Christian  Advocate  and 
Journal,"  noticing  his  departure,  remarks  : 

Truly  are  our  Bishops  "  general  superintendents  ;  "  two  of 
them  are  in  the  Eastern  States,  one  is  in  the  extreme  West, 


VISITS  THE  PACIFIC  COAST.  211 

another  in  the  Middle  States,  one  on  the  way  to  California  and 
Oregon,  and  another  on  the  seas  for  Europe,  to  look  after  our 
missions  in  Germany,  Norway,  and  Sweden.  This  is  apostolic 
episcopacy,  "  succession  "  or  no  "  succession." 

The  "  California  Christian  Advocate,"  of  June  5, 
announces  his  safe  arrival  at  San  Francisco  : 

We  announce,  with  thanksgiving  to  a  gracious  Providence, 
the  advent  of  this  devoted  and  efficient  Christian  Bishop  among 
us.  He  came  by  the  "  Golden  Age."  His  early  arrival  con- 
templates as  general  and  thorough  travel  and  observation  on 
the  coast  as  may  be  practicable  before  the  Conference  sessions. 
Some  six  weeks  or  two  months  will  be  spent  in  California. 
He  will  attend  the  camp-meeting  at  Santa  Cruz,  on  Saturday 
and  Sunday  next,  and  return  to  this  city  by  San  Jose  early 
next  week.  His  plan  of  travel  is  not  yet  matured.  Our  friends 
may  expect  to  be  advised  of  his  coming,  in  different  communi- 
ties, in  time  to  announce  public  services,  as  it  is  understood 
the  Bishop  will  preach  on  week  days  or  evenings, 'as  well  as 
Sabbaths,  so  far  as  his  health  will  allow. 

The  work  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
was  rapidly  expanding  in  this  distant  and  extended 
territory.  The  Oregon  and  California  Mission 
Conference  was  formed  in  1848,  with  the  Rev. 
William  Roberts,  of  Salem,  Oregon,  for  superin- 
tendent. "  In  the  spring  of  1849  Mr.  Roberts  had 
timbers  hewed,  split,  rived,  shaved,  and  prepared 
for  the  erection  of  a  new  church,  and  shipped  from 
Oregon  to  San  Francisco.  There  was  not  a  saw- 
mill on  the  coast  between  Alaska  and  the  isthmus 
of  Panama."  The  Rev.  William  Taylor,  of  the 
Baltimore  Conference,  and  the  Rev.  Isaac  Owen, 


212  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

of  the  Indiana  Conference,  were  appointed  mis- 
sionaries to  California  in  the  autumn  of  1848,  and 
the  following  autumn  arrived  in  the  territory,  the 
one  by  sailing  vessel  around  Cape  Horn,  and  the 
other  "  overland,"  by  ox  teams  across  the  prairies 
and  mountains.  Already  the  Mission  Conference, 
when  Bishop  Janes  arrived,  was  divided  into  two 
regular  Annual  Conferences,  which  comprised  5,598 
members  and  probationers,  131  ministers,  79 
churches,  and  35  parsonages.  Bishop  Janes  had 
been  preceded  by  Bishops  Ames,  Simpson,  Baker, 
and  Scott ;  the  first,  Bishop  Ames,  having  visited 
the  coast  in  1853.  An  anecdote  is  told  of  Bishop 
Ames  illustrative  of  the  pioneer  and  outspreading 
character  of  the  Methodist  Church.  "  Riding  along 
in  one  of  the  remote  valleys  lying  back  from  the 
coast,  he  saw  an  Indian  boy  coming  toward  him  ; 
he  immediately  |aid  to  himself,  '  Now  I'll  have  a 
chance  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  a  soul  who  has  never 
heard  it ; '  whereupon  he  spoke  to  the  boy,  and 
began,  with  the  best  English-Indian  he  could  com- 
mand, to  tell  him  of  Jesus.  '  O  yes,'  said  the  boy, 
'  my  brother  is  a  local  preacher.'  " 

In  a  letter  to  his  son  Bishop  Janes  writes  from 
Oroville,  June  31  : 

My  life  here  is  a  very  busy  one.  Never  were  my  time  and 
strength  more  fully  taxed  than  they  are  in  this  Pacific  tour. 
There  is  so  much  to  do  and  so  much  to  look  after ;  so  many 
embarrassments  to  be  removed,  so  many  difficulties  to  be  set- 


VISITS  THE  PACIFIC  COAST.  213 

tied,  and  so  many  arrangements  to  be  made,  that  my  mind 
and  time  are  constantly  taxed.  But  I  am  not  sorry.  It  is 
good  to  be  fully  employed.  I  love  to  work,  I  feel  so  much 
brighter  and  happier  than  I  do  when  I  indulge  in  sluggishness 
and  inactivity.  I  have  sometimes  wished  you  were  with  me, 
but  during  the  last  two  weeks  I  have  been  glad  you  were  not. 
The  summer  is  not  the  season  to  travel  in  California.  The 
heat  by  day,  the  chilliness  of  the  night,  and  the  terrible  dusti- 
ness  of  the  roads,  make  it  both  uncomfortable  and  unhealthy 
traveling.  The  dust  becomes  as  fine  as  flour,  and  is  inhaled 
with  every  breath.  I  find  it  hard  upon  the  lungs.  Then  the 
expense  of  traveling  is  enormous. 

A  note  from  the  "  Pacific  Christian  Advocate," 
Salem,  Oregon,  of  this  period,  shows  the  route  of 
travel  which  the  Bishop  pursued  : 

Bishop  Janes  is  en  route  for  Oregon,  via  Yreka,  Jacksonville, 
and  Umpqua.  He  is  the  first  Bishop  who  has  attempted  this 
land  trip.  His  visit  will,  doubtless,  be  of  great  service  to  the 
interests  of  religion  on  this  coast.  He  will  not,  probably, 

reach  Salem  and  Portland  until  after  Conference. 

*, 

From  Yreka,  California,  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Janes, 
July  9 : 

Since  I  last  wrote  you  I  have  been  traveling  on  mule-back, 
and  preaching  nearly  every  evening.  The  sun  sets  so  late,  and 
the  people  work  so  long,  that  our  evening  meetings  commence 
very  late.  It  makes  short  nights  for  me,  and  I  do  not  get  as 
much  sleep  as  nature  requires.  It  is  very  trying  to  be  so  long 
without  intelligence  of  your  welfare,  or  evidences  of  your  mind- 
fulness  and  love.  I  have  handled  the  letter  of  the  2oth  of  May 
until  the  envelope  is  so  soiled  I  can  scarcely  read  a  word  of  the 
superscription  ;  but  it  must  last  me  until  I  receive  others.  I 
am  now  approaching  the  Oregon  line.  I  shall,  probably,  reach 
that  territory  to-morrow.  I  am,  I  suppose,  about  three  hun- 
10 


214  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

dred  miles  from  the  seat  of  the  Oregon  Conference.  I  am 
traveling  on  mule-back,  with  Brother  Simonds,  the  presiding 
elder  of  this  district,  for  my  companion.  Yreka  is  a  large  vil- 
lage situated  in  the  Shasta  valley,  and  is  the  most  northern 
town  of  much  size  in  the  State.  I  preach  here  to-night.  I 
hope  to  speak  a  word  in  season.  I  shall,  if  God  answers  my 
prayer  and  guides  and  assists.  O  how  absolutely  we  need  the 
direction  of  God  in  order  to  do  good  in  our  ministry  !  I  do 
not  know  what  will  be  the  character  of  the  congregation  to- 
night, nor  what  will  be  their  spiritual  wants.  I  can  only  draw 
the  bow  at  a  venture.  But  God  knows  who  will  be  present, 
and  what  truth  will  edify  them  and  save  them.  I  trust  to  be 
divinely  guided,  and  that  the  word  spoken  will  be  so  appro- 
priate that  it  will  be  as  nails  fastened  by  the  masters  of  assem- 
blies. This  is  a  wicked  land.  The  gates  of  Zion  mourn.  \Ye 
have  some  very  able  and  devoted  ministers,  and  some  very 
good  people  among  the  laity  of  the  Church.  Still  the  moral 
power  of  the  Church  is  not  adequate  to  control  the  public  mind 
and  the  public  morals.  Some  places  have  been  favored  with 
revival  influences  during  this  Conference  year.  This  village 
has  been  largely  blessed.  The  Church  is  making  some  prog- 
ress ;  I  think  is  becoming  more  and  more  useful  and  ascen- 
dant. There  is  but  little  Protestant  religious  influence  in  the 
State,  except  in  a  few  of  the  larger  towns,  but  that  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  The  mining  regions,  especially,  are  almost 
exclusively  left  to  us.  It  is  a  large  responsibility,  but  I  hope 
we  shall  have  grace  to  meet  it. 

The  Bishop  returned  by  steamer  to  San  Fran- 
cisco from  Oregon,  August  25,  in  "  usual  health." 
He  finds  time,  amid  incessant  labors,  for  the  home 
pen-talks : 

Away  off  on  this  western  side  of  the  world,  all  home  inci- 
dents, however  small,  have  a  great  importance.  Even  the 
little  occurrence  of  nine  swallows  sitting  together  on  the 


CALIFORNIA  AND  OREGON.  215 

honeysuckle  arbor  was  invested  with  real  interest,  and  gave 
me  home  pleasure. 

I  can  understand  how  the  little  every-day  affairs  of  home 
affect  the  sentiments  and  vary  the  feelings  and  influence  the 
happiness  of  the  home  circle.  My  sympathy  in  all  these 
domestic  incidents  is  so  strong  that  they  become  almost  reali- 
ties. It  really  seems  as  if  I  heard  the  swallows  chattering, 
the  robins  singing,  saw  little  Tillie  busily  picking  her  rasp- 
berries, and  mamma  smiling  on  her  when  she  presents  them 
to  her. 

From  Stockton,  Cal.,  Aug.  29,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

My  Oregon  tour  was  an  interesting  one  though  wearisome. 
As  I  have  before  advised  you,  I  went  up  by  land  and  returned  by 
sea.  The  voyage  was  somewhat  perilous,  but  not  very  un- 
comfortable. I  am  glad  I  took  the  land  route  up,  as  it  has 
given  me  a  knowledge  of  both  California  and  Oregon,  and  of 
the  state  and  necessities  of  our  Church,  which  I  could  not 
have  obtained  otherwise.  Knowing,  as  I  do  now,  the  wear 
and  tear  of  the  overland  journey,  I  should  very  much  dread  to 
undertake  it  again.  But  it  is  one  of  those  scenes  of  exposure  and 
peril  and  endurance  upon  which  we  look  back  with  gratitude 
and  satisfaction.  Long  and  rugged  as  was  the  journey,  not 
the  slightest  accident  or  casualty  was  permitted.  Every  cal- 
culation was  met.  My  health  has,  on  the  whole,  been  im- 
proved by  it. 

I  found  the  Church  in  Oregon  in  quite  as  good  a  condi- 
tion as  I  anticipated.  We  have  some  noble  men  there  labor- 
ing for  God.  Our  Indian  missions,  since  the  Indian  war, 
are  doing  but  little.  I  fear  the  aborigines  of  this  country 
are  a  doomed  race.  Such  is  the  cupidity  and  lustfulness  of 
the  whites,  that  I  fear,  by  their  knavery,  they  will  destroy 
them.  It  is  mournful  to  see  them  harassed,  driven  from  the 
graves  of  their  dead,  and  wasting  away.  I  found  it  im- 
possible to  do  much  for  them.  I  fear  our  country  will  be 
visited  with  judgment  for  its  unrighteousness  to  the  Indian 
and  Negro. 


2i6  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

From  Sonora,  Cal.,  Sept.  3,  to  Mrs.  Janes : 

I  am  deeply  interested  in  this  country,  especially  in  our 
Church  here.  Humanity  as  well  as  Christianity  has  a  great 
deal  at  stake  in  California.  This  is  one  of  the  battle  grounds 
on  which  liberty  and  slavery  are  conflicting.  The  strife  in 
some  places  here  is  warm.  I  cannot  foresee  the  final  result. 
As  yet  the  prospect  of  freedom  is  encouraging.  This  section 
of  the  State  is  denominated  the  Southern  Mines,  and  has  prob- 
ably furnished  the  richest  mines  in  the  country.  I  am  thank- 
ful that  our  Church  in  California  is  succeeding  so  well ; 
manifestly  God  is  with  his  ministers.  I  hope  my  visit  may  be 
made  useful  to  them.  I  believe  I  have  been  moving  in  har- 
mony with  God's  will  in  my  visit  and  labors  here.  I  intend  to 
do  all  I  can  for  God  and  his  Church  while  in  this  country. 

From  San  Francisco,  Sept.  18,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

Since  I  wrote  you  I  have  been  traveling  and  preaching  and 
looking  into  the  state  of  the  Church  until  the  day  before 
yesterday,  when  I  came  here  to  commence  my  conference 
duties.  .  .  I  do  not  like  to  talk  about  sacrifice  in  the  service  of 
God.  There  cannot,  to  a  rightly  disposed  mind,  be  any  such 
sacrifice.  Our  duties  may  require  us  to  forego  some  pleasures 
— to  deny  ourselves  some  enjoyments  —  but  then  these  are 
compensated  by  others.  I  find  men  out  here  who  have  been 
away  from  their  families  two,  three,  five,  and  even  more  years, 
to  make  fortunes.  O !  how  small  a  consideration  in  compari- 
son to  the  work  of  saving  souls.  If  others  can  endure  these 
privations  from  such  considerations,  how  much  more  we,  when 
constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ,  when  looking  for  our  reward 
in  heaven,  when  enjoying  the  approbation  of  God  !  Here  is 
strength,  here  consolation ! 

Soon  after  the  Bishop's  return  to  New  York  in 
the  autumn,  he  was  invited  to  give  the  results  of 
his  observations  in  California  and  Oregon  in  a  pop- 
ular lecture.  An  abstract  of  the  lecture  was  pub- 


DEATH  OF  BISHOP  WAUGH.  217 

lished.  The  Rev.  S.  D.  Simonds,  writing  to  him 
from  Crescent  City,  Cal.,  says  of  it :  "I  see  the 
lecture  you  delivered  on  California  and  Oregon  is 
full  of  statistics.  I  wonder  at  your  success.  The 
Lord  continue  to  bless  you  !  " 

Bishop  Beverly  Waugh,  senior  Bishop  of  the 
Church,  died  in  Baltimore  on  Feb.  9,  1858.  Bishop 
Janes  preached  his  funeral  sermon  in  the  Light- 
street  Church  to  a  large  audience  composed  of  the 
ministers  and  people  of  all  Protestant  denomina- 
tions. By  request  he  subsequently  repeated  the 
sermon  in  New  York.  It  was  a  fitting  tribute  to 
one  of  the  noblest  men  and  ministers  of  Meth- 
odism. The  Rev.  Dr.  Hamilton,  of  Baltimore, 
writing  to  him  soon  afterward,  says :  "  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton saw  Mrs.  Waugh  to-day.  Your  sermon  was 
every  thing  to  her  as  well  as  to  the  public,  nor  do 
I  think  you  could  have  done  better  had  you  taken 
a  week  to  prepare." 

Bishop  Janes  assisted  his  colleagues  at  the  ses- 
sions of  the  Baltimore  and  East  Baltimore  Confer- 
ences, March  3-10,  and,  at  the  former,  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  took  part  in  the  missionary  anniversary. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  T.  M.  Eddy,  editor  of  the  "  North- 
western Christian  Advocate,"  who  was  present 
and  participated,  in  his  correspondence  thus  alludes 
to  the  Bishop : 

At  nine  A.  M.  the  Sunday-school  missionary  meeting  of  the 
charge  was  held  ;  at  eleven  o'clock  A.  M.  Bishop  Janes 


218  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

preached  an  excellent  sermon.  This  man  is  a  marvel  to  me  ; 
he  is  always  in  motion — seems  never  to  tire — preaches,  plans, 
delivers  addresses,  travels  day  and  night.  On  Sabbath  he 
usually  preaches  twice,  and  visits  a  Sabbath  school.  Well, 
perhaps  he  can  stand  three  services  a  day,  but  ordinarily  it  is 
next  to  suicide  to  attempt  it.  His  theory  is,  that  preaching 
does  not  hurt  a  man;  that,  "judiciously  managed,"  it  is  a 
healthy,  invigorating  exercise.  Very  true;  but  I  can't  manage 
it  judiciously  three  times  a  day. 

Writing  from  Baltimore  to  Mrs.  Janes,  the  Bishop 
says : 

I  came  here  yesterday  to  negotiate  some  transfers.  The 
business  of  both  Conferences  is  progressing  pleasantly.  The 
sessions,  now  the  Conference  is  divided,  are  very  unlike  the 
stormy  ones  of  last  year.  I  am  glad  for  the  sake  of  my  col- 
leagues and  thankful  for  the  sake  of  the  Church. 

To  Tillie,  from  Baltimore,  March  5  : 

...  I  am  pleased  that  Tillie  can  sing.  This  is  a  very  pleas- 
ant and  profitable  exercise.  O  how  I  wish  I  could  sing !  I 
certainly  would  make  some  music  before  I  get  to  heaven.  I 
intend  to  sing  there:  indeed  I  do.  I  mean  to  sing  there  for- 
ever. I  expect  that  even  my  voice  will  be  sweet  there.  And  O 
what  a  song  we  will  have  then  and  there — the  song  of  Moses 
and  the  Lamb  !  Have  you  learned  it  ?  I  think  I  have  heard 
you  sing  some  of  it.  I  hope  you  will  learn  it  all.  Shall  we 
sing  it  together  in  heaven  ?  I  think  so — with  mother  and  sis- 
ters and  brother.  O  that  will  be  joyful ! 

Bishop  Janes's  Conferences  for  1858  were  Kansas 
and  Nebraska,  Missouri,  East  Maine,  Erie,  Ohio, 
Cincinnati,  Indiana,  and  South-east  Indiana. 

To  his  son,  from  St.  Louis,  April  3,  en  route  for 
the  Kansas  and  Nebraska  Conference : 


KANSAS  AND  NEBRASKA.  219 

I  have  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  more  of  railroad,  and 
then  I  take  the  steamer  on  the  Missouri  River ;  and  then  I 
know  not  what — the  best  conveyance  I  can  find. 

Two  days  later  to  Miss  Charlotte  : 

This  is  a  bright,  beautiful  morning.  The  beauties  of  spring 
are  appearing  all  around  me.  The  birds  are  singing  most 
sweetly.  The  air  and  earth  and  sky  are  uniting  in  an  anthem 
of  praise  to  the  great  First  Cause.  Indeed,  I  never  saw  nature 
seem  more  devout.  All  is  praise.  My  mind  and  heart  are  in 
unison  with  the  glorious  Te  Deum  of  nature.  I  feel  that  if  I 
were  in  heaven  my  feeling  would  harmonize  with  the  loftier  and 
holier  and  sweeter  song  that  fills  the  spacious  temple  of  God. 
Indeed,  I  feel  a  strong  aspiration  to  bear  a  part  in  swelling 
the  tide  of  endless  praise  to  God  and  the  Lamb.  Still  it  is  a 
blessed  service  we  are  permitted  to  render  to  God  on  earth. 
This  invests  our  feeble  efforts  with  the  grandeur  of  eternity. 
O  how  inspiring  is  this  consideration  !  What  a  motive  to  re- 
ligious activities  !  This  is  worth  living  for ;  yes,  and  worth 
dying  for ' 

Bishop  Janes  preached  twice  on  the  Sabbath  in 
St.  Louis,  ordained  an  elder,  baptized  two  children, 
and,  early  in  the  week,  started  for  Topeka,  Kansas, 
where  he  held  (April  15-19)  what  was  then  the 
extreme  western  Conference.  The  Kansas  and  Ne- 
braska Conference,  at  this  time  covering  such  a 
vast  territory,  included  but  48  preachers  and  2,610 
members  and  probationers. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Quindaro,  Kansas,  April  24 : 

Since  the  close  of  Conference  I  have  been  traveling  by  buggy 
and  saddle  to  this  place.  I  have  been  some  out  of  the  direct 
course  to  visit  the  remnants  of  the  Delaware  and  Wyandotte 


220  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Indians.    I  remain  here  over  Sabbath  and  dedicate  a  new  house 
of  worship. 

On  Sunday,  Mayii6,  1858,  St.  Paul's  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  on  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York, 
was  dedicated,  Bishop  Janes  preaching  the  opening 
sermon.  This  substantial,  beautiful,  and  spacious 
edifice  marked  a  great  advance  in  Methodist  archi- 
tecture in  the  city.  It  was  eminently  proper  that 
the  Bishop,  who  had  been  the  pastor  of  Mulberry- 
street,  of  which  this  Church  was  the  outgrowth, 
should  participate  in  the  consummation  of  so  suc- 
cessful and  worthy  an  undertaking. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  New  York,  May  17  : 

Preached  yesterday  at  the  dedication  of  St.  Paul's  with  some 
satisfaction,  and,  I  hope,  some  success.  Dr.  Edwards,  of  Bal- 
timore, preached  in  the  evening  one  of  the  best  sermons  I  ever 
heard.  The  church  is  a  grand  one.  Beautiful  in  its  simplic- 
ity ;  commodious.  I  start  at  three  P.  M.  for  Maine.  A  mul- 
titude of  people  send  their  love  to  you  and  daughters.  I  have 
you  all  in  my  heart  to  live  and  die. 

To  his  household  from  Bangor,  Maine,  May  19: 

The  East  Maine  Conference  opened  this  morning.  On 
Monday  night,  when  the  train  reached  Springfield  for  supper,  I 
was  so  sound  asleep  I  knew  nothing  of  it  until  the  train  start- 
ed on  and  the  new  conductor  came  and  woke  me  to  see  my 
ticket.  It  was  rather  rude  in  him,  but  I  dismissed  him  quickly 
and  returned  to  the  sweet  embrace  of  Morpheus  until  the  con- 
ductor made  his  last  intrusion  upon  us,  as  we  were  entering 
Boston.  I  lost  a  dinner  last  week  in  the  same  way.  Sleep 
was  stronger  than  hunger.  The  weather  is  rainy  and  cold. 
Miss  Spring,  of  Maine,  has  but  just  awoke  from  her  long 


LETTERS  TO  MRS.  JANES.  221 

wintry  sleep.  She  has  washed  her  face,  but  is  not  yet  attired 
in  the  vernal  beauty  or  fashion  of  the  season.  I  fear  if  she  does 
not  improve  very  fast  she  will  not  be  prepared  for  a  matri- 
monial alliance  with  Mr.  Summer,  who  is  soon  expected  to  visit 
her.  Miss  New  Jersey  Spring  is  much  more  advanced  in  her 
attainments,  and  much  more  mature  in  her  character.  I  be- 
lieve her  wedding-day  is  fixed.  Let  us  see,  when  is  it  ?  I  be- 
lieve it  is  at  midnight  on  the  last  day  of  May.  So  much  for 
pleasantry.  .  .  . 

O,  that  God  would  put  his  Spirit  into  more  of  the  young  men 
of  this  generation  and  show  them  that  there  is  a  higher,  nobler, 
happier  vocation  than  the  world  can  propose  to  them  !  A  work 
worthy  to  employ  rational  faculties,  to  engage  immortal  powers, 
to  enlist  spiritual  sympathies.  An  object  worth  living  for,  an 
interest  worth  dying  for ;  results  that  can  only  be  pictured  up- 
on the  canvas  of  eternity,  can  only  be  estimated  during  its  end- 
less cycles,  and  can  only  be  properly  celebrated  by  its  eternal 
acclaim  !  How  can  intelligent  young  men  be  so  blinded  as  not 
to  perceive  the  glory  of  such  devotion  and  service  ? 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  New  York,  May  30: 

I  was  sorry  to  leave  you  this  morning.  I  knew  you  would 
have  some  hours  of  sadness.  Somehow  my  obligations  are  so 
stern  I  cannot  fail  to  meet  them.  I  hope  the  morning  cloud 
which  passed  over  your  mind  has  disappeared,  or  at  least  has 
the  rainbow  of  hope  on  its  receding  darkness.  Nothing  true 
but  heaven.  Nothing  reliable  but  God.  Nothing  saving  but 
grace.  Nothing  satisfying  but  glory.  I  believe  all  these  are 
yours.  Other  things  are  comparatively  of  little  importance. 

From  the  session  of  the  Black  River  Conference, 
at  Jordan,  New  York,  in  which  Bishop  Ames  was 
presiding,  he  writes,  June  9,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

I  am  amid  the  excitements  and  responsibilities  and  perplex- 
ities and  anxieties  and  sympathies  of  an  Annual  Conference. 
O,  what  occasions  these  are !  How  they  tax  the  heads  and 

10* 


222  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

hearts  and  bodies  of  the  poor  Bishops.  Especially  when  sub- 
jects of  general  excitement  and  agitation  are  up  in  their  force 
and  fury.  This  is  a  stormy  time  in  this  section  of  the  Church. 
Several  subjects  of  a  deeply  exciting  character  have  been 
urged  upon  the  attention  of  the  people  for  some  months  past. 
There  is  much  feverishness  and  commotion  in  the  general 
mind  of  the  Church.  Some  of  the  ministers  are  earnest  in 
their  efforts  to  carry  out  their  plans  of  agitation.  Matters  have 
gone  so  far  that  it  embarrasses  us  in  arranging  the  appoint- 
ments. We  are  compelled  to  consider  every  thing  that  affects 
the  harmony  between  pastors  and  people.  We  must  also  keep 
ourselves  free  from  all  prejudice  and  prepossession.  To  keep 
one's  mind  serene  and  perfectly  candid  amid  all  the  conflicts 
and  agkations  of  the  Conference  and  counsel-room  requires 
ceaseless  watching  and  the  sternest  self-denial,  as  well  as  the 
constant  assistance  of  the  divine  Spirit.  I  believe  God  has 
never  yet  on  similar  occasions  deserted  me.  I  trust,  for  Zion's 
sake,  he  never  will.  I  never  needed  his  help  more  than  now. 
May  God  grant  it  me ! 

To  Miss  Charlotte,  from  Dunkirk,  Ne>v  York, 
June  30: 

With  two  loving  fathers,  one  of  them  always  willing  to  do 
you  all  the  good  you  need,  and  the  other  both  able  and  willing 
to  do  you  all  the  good  you  can  possibly  require,  why  should 
you  not  be  happy — perfectly  happy?  I  remember  the  first 
year  I  was  in  the  ministry  I  visited  an  aged  and  poor  colored 
woman.  I  found  her  very  happy  notwithstanding  her  many  in- 
firmities. I  asked  her,  "  Are  you  always  so  happy?"  She  re- 
plied, "Yes,  always  happy."  "  But  are  you  never  unhappy?" 
She  replied  with  great  earnestness,  "  No ;  I  wont  be  unhappy." 
I  presume  I  have  thought  of  that  visit  a  thousand  times.  I  am 
persuaded  the  will  has  much  to  do  with  our  happiness.  We 
may  be  determined  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord  always,  and  by  grace 
be  able  to  keep  the  purpose  of  our  heart.  Our  peace  being  as  a 
river,  and  our  righteousness  abounding  as  the  waves  of  the  sea. 


A  REMARKABLE  SERMON.  223 

The  Bishops  had  a  meeting  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in 
July,  1858.  Bishop  Janes,  in  speaking  of  it,  says: 
"  My  colleagues,  except  Bishop  Scott,  have  all  been 
here.  Bishop  Simpson  is  present.  He  is  feeble,  but 
improving.  We  have  had  a  pleasant  meeting,  and 
been  quite  harmonious  in  our  views  of  the  proper 
polity  of  the  Church."  In  view  of  the  approaching 
session  of  the  Erie  Conference  he  writes :  "  I  see 
the  approaching  Conference  is  to  be  a  time  of  trial 
to  me.  Much  difficulty  has  already  been  presented. 
Still  it  is  God's  service,  and  I  go  to  it  in  his  name 
and  depending  on  him  for  success." 

At  the  session  of  the  Ohio  Conference,  Marietta, 
Ohio,  August  25-30,  1858,  the  Bishop  is  said  to 
have  preached  one  of  his  most  remarkable  sermons. 
Bishop  S.  M.  Merrill,  who  was  then  a  member  of 
the  Conference  and  was  present,  stated  to  the  writer 
that  he  regarded  the  effort  as  not  only  one  of  the 
greatest  of  the  Bishop's,  but  equal  to  any  thing  he 
ever  heard.  The  text  was,  "  Let  him  know,  that  he 
which  converteth  the  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way 
shall  save  a  soul  from  death,  and  shall  hide  a  multi- 
tude of  sins."  James  v,  20.  In  the  last  half  of  the  ser- 
mon, after  dwelling  at  some  length  on  the  ravages 
of  death,  he  suddenly  changed  his  attitude,  elevated 
his  voice,  and  defied  death  as  the  personal  foe  of 
the  race  ;  and  then,  opposing  to  him  the  conquering 
power  of  Christ,  to  the  close  exulted  in  the  victory 
of  the  Gospel  over  sin  and  the  grave.  His  whole 


224  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

form,  face,  voice,  seemed  to  be  invested  with  a  su- 
pernatural energy. 

In  November,  1858,  Thanksgiving  day,  the  Niag- 
ara-street Church,  Buffalo,  New  York,  was  dedi- 
cated. I  glean  the  following  notice  of  the  sermons 
on  the  occasion : 

The  dedicatory  sermon  at  Niagara-street,  by  Bishop  Janes, 
is  described  in  the  "  Advocate  "  as  rich  and  clear  in  thought, 
and  so  comprehensible,  that  at  the  close  an  attentive  and  in- 
terested listener  could  look  back  through  the  whole  production, 
and  have  it  presented  to  his  mind  as  vividly  as  though  it  lay 
written  before  him,  in  all  its  purity  of  thought,  its  encouragement 
for  all  laborers  in  the  right,  its  assurance  that  God  was  work- 
ing with  them,  and  that  success,  through  the  influence  of  faith, 
was  inevitable.  The  Bishop's  sermon  was  received  by  the  large 
audience  with  a  keen  relish,  and  with  admiration  of  its  descrip- 
tion of  true  Christianity,  as  earnest  labor  for  man's  elevation, 
conversion,  and  salvation.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  the 
congregation  arose  and  stood  while  the  Bishop  offered  a  grayer 
consecrating  the  Church  to  the  worship  of  God.  The  house 
was  again  full  in  the  evening.  Rev.  Dr.  Sewall,  of  Baltimore, 
delivered  the  sermon.  It  is  represented  as  one  of  the  greatest 
sermons  ever  delivered  in  Buffalo;  beautiful  and  perfect  in 
thought,  rich  and  fertile  in  imagination,  faultless  in  expression, 
pointed  and  touching  in  its  appeals. 

March  11,  1859,  Bishop  Janes  met  the  Arkansas 
Conference,  at  Bonham,  Texas.  This  Conference, 
lying  wholly  within  slave  territory,  comprised  20 
ministers,  and  about  1,257  members  and  proba- 
tioners. It  was  the  day  of  small  things.  A  few 
persons,  mostly  Germans,  emigrants  from  the  north- 
ern States,  preferred  to  be  under  the  care  of  the 


CONFERENCE  IN  TEXAS.  225 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South,  had  stricken  from  its  Discipline 
the  general  rule  on  slavery,  and  thus  left  itself  with- 
out a  testimony  as  to  the  moral  character  of  slavery, 
and  consequently  some  conscientious  persons  could 
not  unite  with  that  Church.  To  fold  these  scattered 
sheep  the  itinerants  from  the  old  Church  followed 
them  into  the  wilderness.  The  vast,  rich  prairies 
of  Texas — the  State  an  empire  within  itself — was  a 
most  inviting  field  for  the  husbandman  both  for  till- 
age and  grazing,  and  the  people  from  all  sections 
soon  began  to  pour  into  it. 

The  Republic  of  Texas  when  annexed  had  been 
admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  slave  State ;  but  it 
was  very  unfair  that  men  who  preferred  free  labor 
should  not  be  allowed  to  settle  in  it,  and  to  deport 
themselves  in  all  matters  according  to  their  own 
choice.  The  slave  power,  however,  was  now  un- 
compromising, growing  more  and  more  bitter,  and 
watched  with  jealousy  every  apparent  intrusion  upon 
what  it  deemed  its  rights.  Indeed,  upon  both  sides 
of  the  great  slavery  conflict  the  forces  were  becom- 
ing more  determined,  and  they  were  fast  closing  in 
for  what  proved  to  be  the  final  conflict.  The 
whole  nation  was  stirred  to  its  depths,  and  the  one 
issue  before  which  all  others  paled  was  that  of 
slavery.  In  the  border  States  where  mixed  labor 
obtained  the  excitement  was  most  intense,  and  the 
passions  called  out  most  violent  and  destructive. 


226  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  public  mind  when 
the  little  Conference  met  on  Timber  Creek,  near 
Bonham,  Texas.  At  a  town  and  county  meeting 
held  at  Bonham,  March  12,  in  reference  to  the  Con- 
ference, a  preamble  and  resolutions  were  passed 
which  denounced  the  Conference  "  as  a  screen  be- 
hind which  to  hide  emissaries  known  as  abolition- 
ists, and  as  dangerous  to  Southern  interests;  and 
determined  that  a  suitable  committee  be  appointed 
to  wait  on  the  Bishop  and  ministers  now  in  Confer- 
ence assembled,  and  warn  them  to  withhold  its 
furthur  prosecution  :  and  to  secure  this  result,  peace- 
ably if  they  could,  forcibly  if  they  must." 

A  committee  of  fifty  persons,  with  Judge  Rob- 
erts, a  Southern  Methodist,  as  chairman,  was  ap- 
pointed to  carry  out  the  resolutions. 

The  Conference,  as  usual,  had  their  love-feast  on  Sunday, 
and  at  the  conclusion  of  it  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
At  eleven  o'clock  Bishop  Janes  commenced  the  public  service, 
the  house  being  very  full.  While  he  was  reading  the  Script- 
ure lessons  the  committee  were  advancing  toward  the  house, 
with  their  associates,  amounting  to  some  two  hundred,  on 
horseback,  marching  in  order,  and  armed  with  revolvers  and 
bowie-knives.  During  prayer  they  gathered  around  the  house. 
While  the  congregation  was  singing  the  second  hymn  as 
many  as  could,  crowded  into  the  house.  When  the  Bishop 
began  to  give  out  his  text,  the  spokesman  of  the  mob,  Judge 
Roberts,  standing  half  way  up  the  aisle,  said,  "Do  I  address 
the  Bishop  ?  "  The  Bishop  continued  giving  out  his  text. 
He  repeated,  "  Do  I  address  the  Bishop  ?  "  The  Bishop  re- 
plied, "I  am  a  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church." 
He  then  said,  "  I  have  an.  unpleasant  duty  to  perform,  and  I 


A  TEXAS  MOB.  227 

presume  it  will  be  equally  unpleasant  to  you."  He  then  de- 
scribed the  meeting  which  sent  him,  looked  around  and  re- 
ferred to  the  committee,  his  associates,  and  called  on  one  of 
them  to  read  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting. 

When  the  reading  was  ended  he  resumed  his  remarks,  and 
concluded  by  saying  that  unless  our  Church  should  cease  to 
operate  in  Texas  blood  would  be  shed,  and  the  responsibility 
would  be  on  the  Bishop  and  the  Conference.  He  would  not 
allow  any  discussion,  but  two  hours  would  be  given  them  to 
frame  an  answer.  The  Judge  was  excited,  and  his  address 
inflammatory.  As  he  began  to  withdraw  Bishop  Janes  asked 
his  name.  He  stopped,  and  said  his  name  was  Roberts.  The 
Bishop  then  remarked  that  the  time  was  too  short ;  that  the 
topic  was  not  one  for  Sabbath  consideration  ;  that  the  Con- 
ference was  not  then  in  session,  etc.  But  the  Judge  said  no 
longer  time  could  be  given,  and  left  the  house. 

After  the  Bishop  had  preached,  and  the  ordination  services 
were  finished,  the  Bishop  and  preachers  and  the  lay  brethren 
had  an  informal  meeting,  at  which  it  was  concluded  that,  as 
the  laity  were  concerned,  the  Quarterly  Conference  should  be 
consulted  as  to  this  occasion,  and  the  preachers  present 
agreed  to  suspend  their  services  till  the  mind  of  the  laity 
could  be  ascertained,  and  that  was  to  decide  their  c*ourse. 
This  information  was  conveyed  to  the  mob,  and  they  dispersed 
for  the  time  being.  .  .  . 

On  Monday,  the  I4th,  the  Conference  re-assembled,  accord- 
ing to  adjournment,  finished  its  business,  united  in  devotion* 
and  adjourned  sine  die. 

Bishop  Janes,  in  his  modest  and  truthful  account  of  the 
mob,  goes  on  to  state  that  he  does  not  attribute  this  mobo- 
cratic  outrage  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
only  so  far  as  she  or  her  people  have  indorsed  it.  He  adds  : 
"  When  editors  or  others  apologize  for  such  lawlessness  and 
wrong,  or  speak  of  them  approvingly,  they  become  morally 
particeps  criminis,  and  show  that  they  only  need  the  oppor- 
tunity to  do  the  like  themselves.  ...  Or  if  position  or  policy 
should  restrain  them  from  the  actual  outrage,  they  would  at 


228  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

least  hold  the  clothes  of  those  who  throw  the  stones."  .  .  . 
But  the  following  is  said  nobly  and  magnanimously,  as  if 
uttered  by  one  of  the  old  martyrs : 

"  In  conclusion,  I  wish  to  express  my  thankfulness  that 
when  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  has  sent  her 
ministers  to  the  free  States  to  take  the  pastoral  charge  of 
such  as  preferred  her  ministry,  they  have  never  been  mobbed. 
I  pray  they  never  may  be."  * 

It  was  objected  by  the  Southern  Methodist  press 
that  the  "meeting"  and  "committee"  should  be 
called  "  a  mob,"  and  that  the  Southern  Methodist 
Church  should  be  held  responsible  for  the  action. 
It  was  asserted  that  the  meeting  was  composed  of 
the  "  wealth,  the  talent,  and  the  best  elements  of 
Texan  society,"  and  that  the  gentlemen  went 
armed  with  pistols  and  bowie-knives  simply  be- 
cause it  was  their  custom  to  do  so  on  all  occasions. 
The  Southern  Methodist  press,  while  it  avowedly 
condemned  mobs,  yet  threw  the  responsibility  of 
the  whole  action  upon  the  presence  of  the  Confer- 
ence, and  never  once  declared  that  the  proceedings 
of  the  so-called  committee  were  wrong,  and  sub- 
versive of  civil  and  religious  freedom. 

Unquestionably  many  good  men  in  the  South 
regretted  the  occurrence  ;  but,  as  I  have  stated, 
party  spirit  was  running  high,  men's  minds  were 
being  blinded  by  passion,  and  much  was  said  and 
done  which  a  calmer  hour  would  not  have  allowed. 

*  "  South-western  Methodism,"  Elliott,  p.  129,  etc.  Poe  &  Hitch- 
cock, Cincinnati,  O. 


HEROIC  CONDUCT.  229 

I  allude  to  the  subject  only  as  matter  of  history,  to 
illustrate  the  conflicts  of  the  times — times  which 
tried  men's  souls — but  above  all  to  set  forth  the 
Christly  and  heroic  spirit  of  our  Bishop.  Greater 
self-possession,  a  better  temper,  and  more  firmness 
and  discrimination  in  a  presiding  and  responsible 
officer  could  not  have  been  displayed  than  he 
showed  in  so  trying  an  emergency.  There  was  no 
scare,  no  precipitate  fleeing,  no  rashness  of  any  kind. 
The  sermon  and  the  ordinations  of  the  hour  were 
properly  attended  to,  and  the  next  day — not  on 
the  Sabbath,  but  the  next  day— the  business  of  the 
Conference  was  regularly  finished,  and  the  Confer- 
ence adjourned  sine  die,  as  is  the  custom.  Here 
upon  our  own  soil  was  as  heroic  a  spectacle  as  can 
be  found  in  the  annals  of  Huguenots,  Puritans,  or 
Covenanters. 


230  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

1859-1861. 

Two  New  York  Conferences — Upper  Iowa — Peoria — Michigan- 
General  Conference  at  Buffalo — Secession  in  the  Baltimore  Con- 
ference— Western  New  York  and  the  North-west  again— North 
Indiana,  New  Hampshire,  Oneida  Conferences. 

BISHOP  JANES  met  the  New  York  East  Con- 
ference at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  April  12-20, 
and  the  New  York,  at  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  May  4-12, 
1859.  From  Rhinebeck,  (Wildercliff,)  the  residence 
of  Miss  Mary  Garrettson,  he  drops  a  word  to  Mrs. 
Janes,  May  2  : 

I  expect  God  has  greeted  you  this  morning.  Permit  your 
husband  to  greet  you  in  the  Lord.  His  face  shines  upon  me. 
"  I  am  like  a  green  olive-tree  in  the  house  of  God. "  Yesterday 
was  a  profitable  Sabbath.  I  preached  twice.  I  am  also  en- 
joying my  visit  to  this  ancient  home  of  Methodistic  piety.  The 
associations  are  quite  inspiring.  God's  angels  and  saints  have 
dwelt  together  here  for  a  long  time.  I  trust  they  will  ever- 
more. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  May  5  : 

Conference  commenced  yesterday  rather  pleasantly.  I  have 
jreat  trials  before  me  during  the  session.  He  can  heal  the 
hearts  I  wound.  He  can  overrule  the  mistakes  I  make  for  the 
furtherance  of  his  kingdom  and  even  the  good  of  his  servants. 
What  is  still  better,  he  can  keep  me  from  making  mistakes. 
For  this  I  pray  and  trust.  For  the  sake  of  my  brethren  and  the 


IOWA.  231 

Church  for  this  I  am  very  anxious.     In  God's  name  I  shall  do 
the  best  I  can  and  leave  results  to  the  Infinite. 

From  Saratoga,  May  17,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

I  enjoyed  my  last  brief  visit  at  home  very  much  ;  indeed,  all  I 
was  capable  of  enjoying  any  thing.  I  was  so  depressed  in  my 
nervous  system  in  consequence  of  the  long-continued  excitement 
of  Conference,  that  I  was  hardly  capable  of  any  enjoyment  of 
body  or  mind.  These  reactions  are  terrible.  They  unfit  me 
for  any  duty  or  pleasure.  It  requires  the  utmost  effort  at  self- 
government  to  maintain  propriety  of  deportment  or  devotion 
of  spirit.  I  wonder  they  have  not  broken  down  my  health  long 
ago.  So  it  is  God  takes  care  of  me. 

The  Bishop  was  again  in  Iowa,  and  from  Iowa 
City,  the  seat  of  the  Upper  Iowa  Conference,  he 
writes  to  Mrs.  Janes,  August  23,  1859: 

I  have  just  arrived  here  in  safety  and  comfortable  health  ; 
my  journey  has  been  a  prosperous  one.  I  am  hoping  and 
praying  for  a  pleasant  conference  session.  ...  If  every  thing 
around  us  is  not  bright,  there  are  bright  things.  The  promises 
are  never  dimmed  by  circumstances.  The  smile  of  God  is  al- 
ways bright  and  cheering.  The  hope  of  heaven  is  always  in- 
spiring and  gladdening.  There  is  always  some  light  in  the 
tabernacle  of  the  righteous. 

Again,  to  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Iowa  City,  Aug.  26 : 

The  season,  the  past  conference  year,  has  been  one  of  great 
financial  oppression.  Some  of  the  preachers  have  suffered 
want.  Still,  they  are  generally  in  good  spirits.  We  had  a 
most  excellent  missionary  meeting  last  evening.  I  talked  to 
them  awhile  on  the  great  interest.  This  morning  I  had  a  com- 
munication from  an  interesting,  pious,  educated  young  lady, 
offering  to  go  on  a  foreign  mission.  In  Christianity  there  is 
hope  for  our  poor  humanity.  I  see  no  other  agency  that  can 


232  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

adequately  meet  a  sinful  world's  necessity.     May  God  hasten 
the  coming  of  Messiah's  reign  ! 

From  Kewanee,  111.,  the  seat  of  the  Peoria  Con- 
ference, the  Bishop  writes,  September  5,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  : 

Providence  smiles  on  me.  I  trust  he  also  cheers  you  with 
the  light  of  his  countenance.  Yesterday  was  a  day  of  much 
religious  interest  to  me  and  the  people  of  this  place.  So  many 
attended  the  love-feast  in  the  morning  that  they  were  obliged 
to  occupy  two  churches.  At  half  past  ten  o'clock  I  preached 
to  a  densely  crowded  congregation.  The  windows  and  doors 
were  open,  and  many  crowded  around  the  house  and  listened 
very  attentively  to  the  close  of  the  service.  Just  as  many  stood 
inside  the  house  as  could  possibly  do  so.  I  believe  I  never 
preached  to  a  more  crowded  auditory.  I  had  pleasure  in 
preaching.  After  sermon  I  ordained  nineteen  deacons.  In  the 
afternoon  Brother  Poe  preached  an  excellent  sermon  to  a  full 
and  interested  congregation.  After  his  sermon  I  ordained 
eight  elders.  I  think  the  public  services  yesterday  made  a 
strong  and  useful  impression  upon  the  public  mind.  I  hope 
eternity  will  show  saving  results. 

From  Kewanee,  111.,  to  Mrs.  Janes,  Sept.  9, : 

The  Conference  has  been  to  me  a  very  trying  one.  We 
have  had  some  of  the  most  perplexing  Church  difficulties  I  ever 
had  in  my  past  experience.  I  hope  we  have  disposed  of 
them  wisely.  I  have  had  very  little  sleep  for  three  days  and 
nights — all  the  time  under  great  mental  anxiety,  intense  study 
to  devise  means  and  measures  to  remove  the  difficulties.  The 
Conference  adjourned  calmly,  and  I  hope  the  future  will  be 
peaceful  and  prosperous.  My  mind  is  peaceful.  I  feel  that 
God  has  taken  me  to  his  heart.  It  is  marvelous  how  he  could 
do  it,  but  it  is  done  through  grace  in  Christ.  I  am  cleaving  to 
him  with  full  purpose  of  heart.  My  aching  body  allows  no 
more.  Love  to  the  dear  children. 


INVITED  TO  REMOVE  TO  BALTIMORE.     233 

From  the  Michigan  Conference  at  Marshall, 
Mich.,  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  Sept.  14 : 

The  religious  sentiments  of  your  letter  are  excellent  and 
well  expressed.  There  is  something  sublime  in  going  to 
heaven  as  an  old,  scarred  soldier  of  the  cross — one  who  can 
recount  many  conflicts  with  opposing  influences,  and  triumph 
over  them  through  grace.  Still  this  is  not  so  weighty  a  con- 
sideration, since  we  are  saved  and  glorified  not  by  the  merit 
of  works,  but  by  the  merits  of  Christ.  In  heaven  we  shall  give 
Christ  all  the  glory,  and  take  no  praise  to  ourselves  on  account 
of  what  we  have  done.  Again,  is  it  certain  that  those  who 
die  young  will  not  be  engaged  in  as  high  and  glorious  activities 
as  they  would  have,  been  if  they  had  been  continued  in  the 
Church  militant  ?  If  they  are,  will  not  the  reward  be  equally 
glorious  ?  May  it  not  be  even  more  glorious  ?  Is  there,  then, 
any  loss  in  an  early  translation  from  an  earthly  to  a  heavenly 
sphere  of  action  ?  In  addition  to  this,  while  thus  employed  in 
heaven  should  we  not  be  more  happy  than  amid  the  struggles 
and  conflicts  of  earth  ?  If  so,  would  it  not  be  gain  to  die 
early  ?  After  all,  is  it  not  best  to  leave  the  question  with  our 
heavenly  Father  ?  Can  we  be  so  safe  and  so  happy  as  when 
the  all-wise  God  chooses  our  estate  and  our  sphere  of  useful 
and  glorious  activities  ?  Is  it  not  best  to  submit  the  whole 
question  to  his  love  and  wisdom  ?  If  he  gives  us  earthly  and 
probationary  life  and  labor,  shall  we  not  accept  it  and  be  faith- 
ful and  happy  in  it  ?  And  if  he  says,  "  Come  up  higher,"  and 
admits  us  to  a  diviner  vocation  and  a  more  ecstatic  fruition, 
shall  we  not  adoringly  receive  it  ? 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year  Bishop  Janes  was 
written  to  by  Mr.  John  Hurst,  a  prominent  and 
esteemed  layman  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  with  the 
view  of  inducing  him  to  change  his  residence  from 
New  York  to  that  city,  in  so  many  respects  the 


234  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

stronghold  of  Methodism  and  the  joy  of  Methodist 
preachers.  As  will  be  seen  from  the  correspond- 
ence, he  declined  for  what  he  considered  sufficient 
reasons  to  accede  to  the  generous  proposition  : 

At  the  suggestion  of  some  friends  I  write  you  in  regard  to  a 
matter  which  I  have  thought  of  frequently.  You  know  we  are 
without  a  Bishop  in  Baltimore  since  the  death  of  Bishop 
Waugh.  And  your  friends  think  we  are  entitled  to  a  Bishop, 
and  think  you  are  the  one  they  ought  to  have,  if  you  can  be 
induced  to  make  Baltimore  your  residence.  There  would  be 
no  difficulty,  I  think,  Bishop,  with  our  people,  in  manifesting 
their  desire  in  the  right  way  to  have  you  with  us.  It  is  useless 
to  say  more  until  we  have  your  views  respecting  the  matter. 

Bishop  Janes  to  John  Hurst,  Esq.,  New  York, 
Dec.  12: 

I  regret  that  absence  from  home  has  prevented  an  earlier 
reply  to  your  letter  of  the  28th  ultimo.  I.  I  concur  with  you 
in  the  opinion  that  Baltimore  should  be  the  residence  of  one 
of  the  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  I  think 
there  are  good  and  sufficient  reasons  for  this.  2.  I  deem  it 
unadvisable  to  make  any  movement  on  the  subject  until  after 
the  next  General  Conference  for  these  reasons — As  the  time  of 
the  next  General  Conference  is  so  near,  if  any  one  of  us  should 
move  before  it  met  our  motives  would  be  suspected,  and 
probably  our  influence  impaired :  if  at  the  next  General  Con- 
ference one  of  your  own  Conference  men  should  be  elected 
Bishop,  it  would  make  it  undesirable  for  one  of  the  present 
Board  of  Bishops  to  remove  to  your  city.  3.  I  presume 
Brother  Hurst  will  concur  with  me  in  the  opinion  that  New 
York  ought  also  to  be  the  residence  of  one  of  the  superintend- 
ents of  the  Church,  and  that  I  ought  not  to  leave  here  until 
my  place  was  supplied.  This  supply  cannot  be  provided  be- 
fore the  meeting  of  the  General  Conference.  4.  After  General 
Conference  I  shall  be  ready  to  do  all  I  can  consistently  to 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AT  BUFFALO.     235 

effect  the  residence  of  one  of  our  number  in  your  city.  5.  As 
to  myself,  I  shall  come  cheerfully  if  I  am  convinced  it  is  my 
duty  to  do  so.  As  all  my  personal  and  family  interests  are 
here,  I  can  only  be  induced  to  change  my  residence  from  con- 
victions of  religious  duty.  ...  6.  I  am  deeply  concerned  for 
the  prosperity  of  Methodism  in  Baltimore  and  .the  regions 
round  about  it.  If  after  the  next  General  Conference  no  rep- 
resentative of  our  border  Conferences  is  elected  to  the  Episco- 
pacy, I  shall  be  willing  to  correspond  with  you  and  the 
Baltimore  brethren  on  the  question,  and  after  consulting  my 
family  and  conferring  with  my  colleagues,  to  prayerfully  con- 
sider the  question  of  personal  duty  in  the  case.  I  shall  be 
happy  if  my  views  commend  themselves  to  your  judgment  and 
meet  your  approval. 

In  the  spring  of  1860  Bishop  Janes  met  the 
Pittsburgh,  New  England,  East  Maine,  and  Ver- 
mont Conferences.  From  the  session  of  the  Ver- 
mont Conference  he  hastened  to  the  General 
Conference,  which  assembled  in  St.  James's  Hall, 
in  the  City  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  on  May  I.  All 
the  Bishops  were  reported  present  except  Bishop 
Simpson. 

The  Bishops,  in  their  Address  to  the  General  Con- 
ference, congratulated  the  body  on  the  numerical 
progress  of  the  Church,  and  the  general  prosperity 
in  every  department  of  denominational  work.  The 
two  most  prominent  measures  which  occupied  the 
attention  of  the  Conference  were  the  questions  of 
lay  delegation  and  slavery.  Certain  local  excite- 
ments connected  with  the  administration  of  disci- 
pline, especially  in  the  case  of  the  so-called 


236  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Nazarites  of  Central  and  Western  New  York,  were 
also  dealt  with,  and  with  such  results  as  in  the 
main  to  preserve  the  peace  of  the  Church,  and  lead 
the  disaffected  to  leave  its  communion  and  to  form 
a  new  organization,  known  as  the  Free  Methodists. 

The  action  upon  lay  delegation  was  simply  to 
the  effect  that  the  General  Conference  was  ready 
to  grant  it  whenever  the  ministers  and  people 
should  express  a  desire  for  it.  This  was  a  great 
advance  upon  the  past,  and  showed  that  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  was  wisely  adjusting  itself  to  what 
it  saw  to  be  a  growing  tendency  in  the  Church. 

The  agitation  upon  slavery  in  both  State  and 
Church  had  now  reached  its  height.  The  presiden- 
tial campaign,  fairly  inaugurated  during  the  session 
of  the  Conference,  promised  to  be  the  most  hotly 
contested  ever  known  in  the  history  of  the  Nation. 
It  was  squarely  upon  the  issue  of  the  admission  of 
slavery  into,  or  its  exclusion  from,  the  new  terri- 
tories. The  issue  was  drawn  between  the  free  and 
slave  States.  The  whole  public  mind  was  in  a 
ferment ;  and  it  was  as  impossible  to  keep  the 
excitement  out  of  an  ecclesiastical  assembly  as  out 
of  a  political  one.  The  moral  effects  of  the  ques- 
tion were  felt  by  many  to  be  even  more  imperative 
than  the  political ;  it  had  risen  above  the  realm  of 
expediency  into  that  of  conscience.  As  was  inevit- 
able, the  General  Conference  was  absorbed  with  it. 
Delegates  had  been  chosen  from  many  of  the  An- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1860.         237 

nual  Conferences  on  the  single  test  of  a  change  in 
the  general  rules  forbidding  slave-holding,  and  con- 
stituted a  large  majority  of  the  General  Conference. 
The  Committee  on  Slavery  was  composed  in  har- 
mony with  the  views  of  this  majority  of  the  dele- 
gates, and  a  majority  of  the  committee  reported  in 
favor  of  so  chartging  the  general  rule  as  that  it 
should  read :  "  The  buying,  selling,  or  holding  of 
men,  women,  and  children  with  an  intention  to 
enslave  them."  The  resolution  failed  of  a  two- 
thirds  vote,  and  was  lost.  As  this  proposition 
had  already  failed  of  a  three-fourths  majority  of 
the  members  of  the  Annual  Conferences,  and  had 
now  failed  of  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  General 
Conference,  further  action  looking  to  a  change  of 
the  general  rule  was  abandoned.  The  chapter  on 
Slavery,  however,  was  modified  so  as  to  read  :  "  We 
believe  the  buying,  selling,  or  holding  of  human 
beings  as  chattels  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  God 
and  nature,  inconsistent  with  the  golden  rule,  and 
with  that  rule  in  our  Discipline  which  requires  all 
who  desire  to  remain  among  us  to  '  do  no  harm 
and  to  avoid  evil  of  every  kind.'  " 

The  General  Conference  took  the  precaution  to 
vote,  almost  unanimously,  that  the  chapter  thus 
altered  "was  in  itself  so  clearly  declarative  and 
advisory  as  not  to  need  any  explanation."  It  had 
not,  therefore,  the  force  of  law.  Notwithstanding 

this  it  became  a  ground  of  offense  to  many  minis- 
11 


238  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ters  and  members  within  the  slave  States,  and  was 
made  the  occasion  by  them  of  another  secession 
from  the  Church.  The  division  was  confined  chiefly 
to  the  territory  of  the  Baltimore  Conference.  That 
time-honored  body,  which  had  stood  together  so 
firmly  in  the  dissensions  of  1844,  had  at  last  suc- 
cumbed under  the  weight  of  continued  agitation 
and  supposed  grievances,  and  many  of  its  best 
preachers  and  people  left  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  some  adhering  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  and  a  few  forming  themselves  into 
Independent  Methodists. 

The  solicitude  of  our  Bishop  for  the  result  of  the 
slavery  controversy  at  the  General  Conference  of 
1856  will  be  recollected,  but  at  this  Conference 
there  is  no  word  from  him.  There  is  every  reason 
to  conclude  that  his  views  and  feelings  were  much 
the  same,  and  undoubtedly  he  felt  great  relief  when 
the  action  fell  short  of  extreme  measures.  There 
is  but  one  letter  extant  from  the  seat  of  the  Confer- 
ence, and  that  is  of  a  purely  incidental  and  friendly 
sort. 

To  his  daughter,  Miss  Elizabeth,  May  21  : 

I  had  rather  a  hard  day's  work  yesterday.  I  preached  twice 
to  large  congregations,  and  rode  ten  miles  between  the  serv- 
ices. Yet  it  was  a  pleasant  Sabbath.  I  was  happy  in  my  ex- 
perience and  enjoyed  the  services  of  the  sanctuary.  I  hope 
they  were  also  useful  to  others.  I  have  just  returned  to  the 
city,  and  take  a  few  minutes  to  say  a  word  to  daughter  Lizzie. 
It  seems  a  long  time  since  I  saw  you ;  I  hope  a  shorter  one 


A  WESTERN  TOUR.  239 

will  intervene  before  we  meet.  Was  yesterday  a  happy  Sab- 
bath to  you?  Was  it  a  clay  of  religious  edification?  Were 
you  made  wiser  and  better  by  its  privileges?  Did  you  go  to 
St.  Paul's,  or  to  Greene-street,  or  to  both  ?  I  apprehend  our 
pew  in  St.  Paul's  will  not  always  find  its  occupants  there  for 
the  present.  I  expect  old  associations  will  hold  you,  however, 
pretty  strongly  to  St.  Paul's.  There  is  much  attraction  there.* 

The  Bishop  presided  in  the  autumn  of  1860  over 
the  Erie,  Iowa,  Central  Ohio,  and  Rock  River  Con- 
ferences. At  the  close  of  the  Iowa  Conference  he 
went  home,  and  after  a  few  days'  respite  he  returned 
west,  accompanied  by  his  daughter,  Miss  Elizabeth. 
It  was  a  gratification  in  which  he  could  rarely  be 
indulged,  to  have  the  companionship  of  any  mem- 
ber of  his  family  on  his  episcopal  tours.  When 
circumstances  did  allow  of  it,  he  reveled  in  the 
pleasure. 

From  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  the  seat  of  the  Central 
Ohio  Conference,  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Janes,  Sept.  19: 

We  reached  this  place  about  ten  o'clock  this  morning.  I 
presume  Lizzie  will  give  you  the  details  of  the  journey.  My 
Sunday  service  at  Poughkeepsie  was  interesting  to  me.  I  think 
the  young  minister  ordained  is  one  of  much  fitness  for  the 
work  of  a  missionary  in  India.  I  visited  Sister  Redding.  The 
old  lady  (seventy-six  years)  retains  her  mental  faculties  re- 
markably. 

*  The  reference  here  to  a  possible  diversion  from  St.  Paul's  to 
Greene-street  Church,  in  New  York  city,  grew  out  of  the  fact  that 
the  Rev.  Charles  E.  Harris,  to  whom  his  eldest  daughter,  Miss 
Charlotte,  had  been  married  in  the  spring  of  this  year,  was  pastor 
of  Greene-street  Church. 


240  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

On  Monday,  by  rising  at  four  o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  making  all 
possible  exertions,  and  being  favored  by  the  railroad  superin- 
tendent, who  permitted  an  express  train  to  stop  out  of  its  reg- 
ular order  to  accommodate  me,  I  reached  Amsterdam  in  time 
for  the  dedication.  The  services  of  the  occasion,  I  judge,  were 
very  acceptable,  and,  I  trust,  useful.  In  order  to  give  Lizzie  an 
opportunity  to  see  Niagara  Falls  we  traveled  all  night.  Lizzie 
seemed  very  much  interested  in  her  visit  to  that  sublime  won- 
der of  nature,  that  marvelous  work  of  God. 

I  expect  to  open  the  Central  Ohio  Conference  to-morrow 
morning. 

From  Bucyrus  he  ran  over  to  Dexter,  Michigan, 
to  assist  Bishop  Morris  with  the  Detroit  Confer- 
ence. Thence  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Janes,  Sept.  '28 : 

With  Lizzie  I  came  to  this  place  at  a  very  early  hour  this 
morning.  The  Detroit  Conference  is  in  session  here,  Bishop 
Morris  presiding.  I  came  with  the  view  of  aiding  my  colleague 
a  little  in  his  conference  duties,  and  to  consult  him  in  reference 
to  Church  interests.  I  shall  remain  until  Monday  morning, 
when  I  expect  to  go  to  Chicago.  Not  having  time  to  nurse 
myself  my  cold  has  to  run  its  course.  The  Church  is  general- 
ly prosperous  in  most  of  her  interests.  The  missionary  collec- 
tions are  much  increased.  I  hope  time  passes  cheerily  with 
you  and  Tillie.  I  hope  you  do  not  feel  lonely.  I  think  two 
who  have  so  much  resemblance  to  each  other,  and  so  much 
love  for  each  other,  can  keep  each  other  pleasant  company. 
Mamma  has  as  many  of  the  children  with  her  as  I  have  with 
me.  Equal  rights  equally  met.  I  will  return  Lizzie  soon.  I 
am  coming  myself  also.  I  think  mamma  will  say  her  claims 
are  well  respected. 

From  Chicago,  the  seat  of  the  Rock  River  Con- 
ference, with  which  the  episcopal  duties  of  the  year 
closed,  to  Mrs.  Janes,  October  2 : 


A  DAY  EMBLEMATIC  OF  LIFE.          241 

"  The  itinerant  part  of  your  family  reached  this  city  last  even- 
ing. Chicago  is  to-day  in  great  excitement.  The  Republic- 
ans are  having  a  great  gathering  and  parade.  It  is  said  there 
are  ten  thousand  "Wide  Awakes"  parading  the  streets.  Much 
enthusiasm.  To-morrow  morning  Conference  opens.  The 
beginning  of  another  week  of  labor  and  anxiety.  No  matter, 
if  only  the  business  is  done  right,  the  Church  prospered,  and 
God  honored.  This  Conference  closes  my  conference  labors 
for  this  year,  the  seventeenth  of  my  episcopacy.  How  soon 
they  have  gone,  and  what  a  record  they  have  in  heaven.  Their 
influence  can  only  be  measured  by  eternity,  and  comprehended 
by  the  divine  Mind.  The  Methodist  Church  is  a  most  wonder- 
ful agency.  Its  adaptation  to  educate  and  influence  the  world 
religiously  is  marvelous.  There  is  no  such  power  in  the  earth. 
When  this  organization  is  properly  worked,  and  energized  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  its  operations  are  beautiful  and  sublime,  and 
their  spiritual  results  stupendous.  It  is  of  God. 

The  following  letter  from  Cincinnati,  December 
15,  to  his  daughter  Tillie,  congratulating  her  on  her 
approaching  birthday,  was  not  only  emblematic,  but 
alas !  all  too  prophetic  of  the  early  blight  of  her 
beautiful  life  : 

It  would  be  a  great  pleasure  to  see  you  and  congratulate  you 
on  your  thirteenth  birthday.  When  I  left  home  on  Thursday 
morning  the  day  had  not  dawned.  Soon  after,  however,  the 
eastern  sky  began  to  whiten,  then  to  redden,  and  in  a  little 
time  the  rising  sun  filled  the  whole  heavens  with  glory.  It 
was  one  of  the  most  charming  morning  scenes  I  ever  wit- 
nessed. But  the  change  from  dawn  to  day  was  so  quick  and 
rapid  that,  though  I  was  watching,  I  could  not  tell  when  it 
occurred.  The  one  had  passed  away  and  the  other  had  su- 
perseded it,  but  the  transition  could  not  be  realized.  Said  I 
to  myself,  "  Such  is  the  transition  from  girlhood  to  maiden- 
hood. It  is  so  imperceptible  and  so  rapid,  that  even  the  parent 


242  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

who  is  watching  it  daily  is  not  conscious  of  the  progress." 
Thought  I,  "  So  it  will  be  with  Tiilie,  whom  I  have  just  left, 
Before  we  realize  it,  she  will  be  passing  into  womanhood." 
Ere  noon  we  ran  into  a  storm  cloud.  All  was  dark,  and  the 
snow  fell  fast  and  the  wind  howled  through  the  forest.  Soon 
the  clouds  parted  and  the  sun  shone  brightly.  Again  the 
whole  heavens  were  clouded  and  the  storm  was  furious.  In  a 
little  time,  however,  the  sun  appeared  bright  and  beautiful,  and 
the  evening  was  unclouded,  lovely,  and  serene  as  was  the 
morning.  "  Such,"  I  said,  "  is  human  life.  It  is  with  none  of 
us  constant  sunshine  ;  all  have  trouble  and  suffering."  Now, 
beautiful  as  has  been  the  morning  of  your  life,  I  apprehend 
your  future  will  have  some  clouds — some  suffering — but  I  be- 
lieve the  clouds  will  pass  away  and  the  sun  always  be  in  your 
heavens. 

It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Bishop  Scott  to  preside  over 
the  Baltimore  Conference,  March  13-25,  1861,  at 
Staunton,  Va.  A  convention  of  laymen  from  the 
territory  of  the  Baltimore  Conference  had  met  in 
Baltimore  City  in  December,  1860,  and  had  taken 
strong  action  against  the  new  chapter  on  slavery, 
and  had  called  another  convention  to  meet  at  the 
time  and  place  of  the  ensuing  Baltimore  Conference. 
A  difficult  and  stormy  session  was  consequently 
anticipated,  and  all  the  Bishops  looked  forward  to 
it  with  much  anxiety.  The  following  letter  from 
Bishop  Janes  to  Bishop  Scott  will  give  at  least  a 
glimpse  of  this  feeling.  It  is  dated  at  New  York, 
March  4,  1861  : 

I  have  just  returned  to  the  city,  and  hasten  to  reply  to  yours 
of  25th  instant.  As  I  understand  it,  I  was  appointed  to  go  to 
the  Baltimore  Conference  only  as  your  assistant.  There  is  no 


THE  BALTIMORE  CONFERENCE.         243 

other  reason  for  my  going  that  I  know  of.  If  you  feel  that, 
owing  to  existing  circumstances,  you  can  do  better  or  as  well 
without  me,  there  is  no  propriety  in  my  going.  I  have  heard 
nothing  from  them  by  way  of  objection  to  my  being  with  you, 
but  it  would  not  be  reasonable  for  me  to  expect  to  hear  it,  as 
delicacy  would  probably  prevent  any  one  from  communicating 
with  me  on  the  question.  The  time  required  to  attend  the 
Baltimore  Conference  will  be  valuable  to  me,  and  I  shall  not 
go  on  unless  you  have  seen  reason  to  change  your  mind 
since  you  wrote  and  request  me  to  come.  When  the  arrange- 
ment was  made  for  me  to  accompany  you  I  thought  it  was  to 
be  a  confidential  matter.  I  soon,  however,  received  a  letter 
from  Baltimore,  stating  that  the  writer  understood  I  was  to 
accompany  you  to  the  Baltimore  Conference,  and  requesting 
me  to  spend  Sabbath,  the  loth  instant,  in  Baltimore.  Since  it 
was  known  that  I  was  expected  to  be  with  you  I  have  said  so 
to  different  persons.  If  the  report  should  be  started  that  I 
had  failed  to  be  there  through  timidity  I  am  confident  Bishop 
Scott  will  correct  it.  This  is  the  only  delicacy  on  my  part,  and 
this  is  of  small  moment.  I  have  no  apprehension  that  violence 
or  even  indignity  will  be  offered  you.  You  will  have  perplexi- 
ties and  difficulties.  I  shall  pray  incessantly  that  God  will  aid 
and  direct  you.  I  believe  he  will  do  it.  I  now  make  the  fol- 
lowing requests:  i.  Write  me,  to  Philadelphia,  every  aspect 
matters  put  on  and  every  decision  you  make.  This  is  very 
important,  that  we  may  narmonize  in  our  administration.  It 
would  be  very  unfortunate  if  we  should  decide  questions  dif- 
ferently under  the  same  class  of  circumstances.  2.  Come  to 
the  Philadelphia  Conference  as  soon,  as  your  duties  and  health 
will  possibly  admit.  I  do  not  wish  to  do  any  thing  to  weaken 
your  administration  two  years  ago. 

Bishop  Janes  did  not  attend  the  Conference,  but 
he  and  Bishop  Scott  were  in -frequent  correspond- 
ence. Bishop  Scott  writes  him  from  Staunton, 
March  13  : 


244  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

I  thank  you  for  your  prompt  response  to  my  letter,  and  I 
am  gratified  to  find  that  we  so  nearly  agree  as  to  the  new 
chapter.  It  is,  indeed,  a  remarkable  coincidence  of  view  that 
1  had  already  changed  the  expression  of  my  judgment  on  the 
effect  of  the  substitution,  etc.,  to  exactly  the  point  you  name, 
"  is  to  place  the  official  and  private  member  on  the  same  plat- 
form," etc. 

Bishop  Scott  deported  himself  throughout  these 
proceedings,  during  which  numerous  and  most  per- 
plexing questions  had  to  be  answered  impromptu, 
•with  the  utmost  wisdom,  impartiality,  and  firmness, 
and,  to  the  credit  of  the  Conference  let  it  be  re- 
corded, as  Bishop  Janes  had  intimated,  he  was 
treated  with  all  possible  consideration  and  courtesy. 
And  although  a  majority  of  the  Conference  voted 
to  separate  from  the  Church,  by  his  judicious  rulings 
the  integrity  of  the  old  Baltimore  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  preserved. 

Bishop  Janes  met  the  Philadelphia  Conference  in 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  March  20-30.  He  had  not  a  very 
large  number  of  preachers  to  station,  but,  under 
the  excitement,  the  fixing  of  the  appointments  re- 
quired extreme  care.  The  slave  territory  of  this 
Conference  was  scarcely  less  agitated  than  that  of 
the  Baltimore  Conference,  and  heavy  local  seces- 
sions, especially  in  Lower  Maryland  and  Virginia, 
took  place.  Writing  to  Mrs.  Janes,  from  the  chair 
of  the  Conference,  March  26,  he  says  : 

I  trust  you  are  this  morning  exulting  in  the  love  of  God,  and 
sweetly  anticipating  the  joys  of  heaven.  I  am  under  a  great 


A  STORY  ON  HIMSELF.  245 

pressure  of  duty,  but  am  joyful  and  hopeful  in  God.  I  love 
God,  and  am  seeking  to  glorify  him  in  my  official  and  private 
life.  This  is  my  highest  joy.  Yesterday  the  Conference  was 
engaged  mainly  with  devotional  services.  There  is  all  the 
embarrassment  I  anticipated  in  the  business  of  the  Conference. 
My  health,  my  experience,  my  efforts,  will  be  taxed  to  the  ut- 
most in  making  the  appointments.  Some  secessions  will  un- 
doubtedly take  place.  A  part  of  the  Conference  is  violently 
agitated. 

The  Bishop  next  met  in  rapid  succession  the 
North  Indiana,  New  Hampshire,  and  Oneida  Con- 
ferences. 

From  Utica,  New  York,  the  seat  of  the  Oneida 
Conference,  he  writes  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  April  20: 

An  incident  occurred  on  my  way  here  that  it  will  do  to  laugh 
over  a  little.  You  know  I  had  traveled  all  night  the  previous 
one  to  my  starting  for  this  place,  and  was  much  fatigued  with 
conference  labors,  consequently  was  inclined  to  be  very  sleepy. 
I  kept  awake  until  I  had  changed  cars  at  Albany,  and  then  in- 
quired of  the  conductor  when  he  would  wake  me  for  my  ticket. 
He  said,  before  reaching  Utica.  So  I  placed  myself  in  the 
arms  of  Morpheus  for  a  refreshing  snooze.  As  I  took  it  to  be 
a  necessity  for  the  conductor  to  wake  me  before  he  left  the 
train  at  Utica  I  felt  no  care  about  waking.  The  conductor, 
however,  for  some  reason  unknown  to  me,  did  not  ask  me  for 
my  ticket.  The  consequence  was  my  nap  was  not  broken  un- 
til I  had  passed  Utica.  Another  conductor  passed  through  the 
cars  to  examine  tickets  and  awoke  me.  I  at  once  compre- 
hended the  fact  that  I  was  going  away  from  the  seat  of  my 
Conference  at  the  rate  of  thirty  miles  an  hour.  It  was  not  a 
pleasant  state  of  things  by  any  means.  But  what  was  the  use 
of  fretting  about  it  ?  It  would  not  stop  the  cars  or  in  any  re- 
spect better  the  condition  of  affairs.  So  I  calmly  sat  me  down 
for  a  work  of  supererogation,  an  extra  ride  of  fifteen  miles  to 
11* 


246  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

the  next  station.  I  waited  there,  in  the  depot,  two  hours  for  a 
return  train,  in  which  I  reached  Ulica  about  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

O !  how  much  I  wish  to  get  out  to  Mount  Wesley  a  few 
days  to  snuff  the  mountain  air,  to  drink  its  pure  water,  to  see 
its  opening  flowers,  to  gambol  over  the  hills  and  feel  a  little 
freedom  from  cares  and  official  anxieties  and  the  teasings  of 
committees  and  the  pleadings  of  preachers,  etc,,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 


iZW,  EflDRflQJWDB  So 


I'l  l;i,ISMKIi   l!V  C.  I.AVK  fc  I..  SCDTT   yODMMU  !KI(|;Y  ST.  NKW-YM  ;K. 


VISITS  EUROPE.  247 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

1861-1863. 

Visits  Europe — The  Christian  Commission — Perplexities  at  the  Bal- 
timore Conference — Spring  and  Autumn  Conferences — Second 
Visit  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 

'THHE  General  Conference  instructed  the  Bishops 
-*-  to  visit  the  missions  in  Western  Europe  dur- 
ing this  quadrennial  term,  and  Bishop  Janes  was 
designated  to  discharge  the  duty ;  he  accordingly 
sailed  for  Liverpool,  England,  June  5,  where  he  ar- 
rived on  the  i6th  of  the  month.  He  proceeded  at 
once  to  Bremen,  Germany,  the  seat  of  the  German 
Mission  Conference,  and  opened  its  session  on  the 
2Oth,  fourteen  days  from  New  York.  The  Rev.  L.  S. 
Jacoby  had  established  the  first  Methodist  mission 
in  Germany,  at  Bremen,  in  1849,  an<^  this  had  now 
grown  to  the  proportions  of  an  Annual  Conference, 
extending  as  far  south  as  Zurich,  Switzerland,  com- 
prising 2,181  members  and  probationers,  and  22 
ministers,  with  a  flourishing  publishing  house,  and 
a  Biblical  Institute  for  the  training  of  young  min- 
isters, located  at  Bremen. 

From  Bremen  to  Mrs.  Janes,  June  25  : 

This  Mission  Conference  opened  on  the  2oth  inst.  The 
number  of  members  is  small  in  comparison  with  some  of  our 
large  Conferences  in  the  States,  but  the  brethren  seem  pos- 
sessed of  a  good  spirit,  and  some  of  them  are  men  of  high 


248  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

attainments.  Our  devotional  services  have  had  a  special  zest. 
Sometimes  they  have  been  performed  in  English  and  some- 
times in  the  German  language.  About  half  of  the  brethren 
can  understand  the  English  language.  From  the  reports  I  re- 
ceive I  am  satisfied  that  this  mission  work  in  Northern  Europe 
is  a  very  important  part  of  our  Church  enterprise.  It  was  a 
needed  and  is  a  repaying  work.  God's  approbation  is  upon  it. 
Brother  and  Sister  Warren  are  much  pleased,  and  very  happy. 
He  is  a  very  good  and  truly  great  man.*  "  The  Life  of  Hester 
Ann  Rogers,"  which  you  paid  to  have  translated  into  the  Ger- 
man language,  is  being  circulated  in  this  land,  and,  of  course, 
with  good  effect.  I  very  much  wish  to  hear  from  home,  and 
from  my  poor  distracted  country.  It  is  wonderful  what  interest 
is  felt  in  Europe  on  the  subject  of  our  war.  It  is  in  every  paper, 
and  the  general  topic  of  conversation  every-where.  It  is  a  great 
question.  It  involves  the  destinies  of  millions  yet  unborn,  as 
well  as  millions  now  living.  I  pray  God  the  right  may  prevail. 

From  the  same  point,  two  days  later,  I  meet  his 
first  allusion  to  the  civil  war,  which  followed  so 
soon  upon  the  inauguration  of  President  Lincoln. 
In  that  stern  and  bloody  conflict  no  man  in  civil 
life  stood  more  firmly  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
Union,  for  the  vindication  of  the  laws,  or  more 
thoroughly  supported,  in  his  legitimate  sphere,  the 
efforts  of  the  national  government  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  Rebellion.  This  he  did  not  so  much  by 
fierce  denunciation  of  those  in  rebellion,  as  by  ear- 
nest, wise  words,  and  noble,  self-sacrificing  deeds. 
Writing  to  Tillie,  he  says: 

I  expect  you  have  heard  the  drum  very  often  lately.  I  am 
sorry  men  will  be  so  wicked  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  fight. 
Our  beloved  country  is  passing  through  great  trials.  I  believe 

*  Rev.  W.  F.  Warren,  D.D.,  now  President  of  Boston  University. 


VISITS  EUROPE.  249 

Providence  will  take  care  of  our  noble,  free  institutions.  I  ex- 
pect the  world  will  sing,  "Hail!  Columbia!"  many  genera- 
tions hence. 

The  Bishop  met  the  Scandinavian  missionaries  at 
Copenhagen,  and  returning  through  Berlin  went  as 
far  south  as  Zurich,  Switzerland,  visiting  the  Ger- 
man and  Swiss  missions.  From  Zurich  he  crossed 
to  Paris.  He  was  a  close  observer  of  all  that  he 
saw,  though  indulging  but  little  in  minute  descrip- 
tions. Among  the  objects  on  the  Continent  which 
especially  impressed  him,  was  the  mausoleum  which 
the  late  king,  Frederick  William  IV.,  and  brother 
of  the  present  king,  William,  built  to  his  parents 
at  Potsdam,  near  Berlin. 

It  is  built  in  the  depths  of  an  ornamental  forest.  As  you 
approach  it  through  the  densely  shaded  avenue,  the  solitude 
inspires  you  with  a  pleasing  solemnity.  The  mausoleum  is 
built  of  the  most  solid  and  elegant  masonry.  The  main  room 
is  circular,  the  ceiling  oval.  It  receives  light  from  the  top, 
which  falls  through  stained  glass  so  arranged  as  to  create  the 
most  delicate  blending  of  shadows  and  mellowed  radiance  I 
ever  beheld.  The  room  itself  is  perfectly  plain.  The  walls 
have  a  few  costly  pictures.  Near  the  center,  over  the  graves  of 
their  majesties,  is  a  marble  tomb,  elevated  about  three  feet,  on 
which  are  full-sized  marble  figures,  representing  the  king  and 
queen  lying  in  state.  The  marble  is  of  the  purest  and  whitest 
kind  that  can  be  found,  and  the  workmanship  is  most  exquisite. 

In  Paris  Bishop  Janes  stopped  only  for  a  few 
days,  where,  in  addition  to  all  the  sights  and  sounds 
of  that  wondrous  city,  he  was  refreshed  by  the 
companionship  of  his  early  and  genial  friend,  the 


250  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  M'Clintock,  who  was  at  the  time  pastor 
of  the  American  Chapel. 
To  Mrs.  Janes,  July  18: 

You  see  by  the  heading  of  this  that  I  have  arrived  in  this 
wonderful  French  city.  1  am  at  the  house  of  Dr.  M'Clintock. 
I  expect  to  leave  here  for  London  to-morrow  morning.  I  have 
been  out  sight-seeing  some  since  I  have  been  here.  I  am 
going  this  morning  to  see  the  Palace  at  Versailles  and  the 
tomb  of  Napoleon.  These  are  all  I  intend  to  visit.  The  rest 
of  the  day  must  be  spent  in  writing.  I  think  more  highly  of 
France  and  the  French  people  than  I  did  before  I  saw  them. 
I  have  enjoyed  reading  some  of  our  New  York  papers  here 
very  much.  Dr.  M'Clintock  has  them  up  to  July  11.  I  am 
pained  at  the  state  of  affairs  in  our  beloved  country.  Still  I 
am  hopeful,  trusting  in  God  and  not  in  man,  or  in  armies  of 
men.  God  puts  down  and  puts  up  who  and  when  he  pleases. 
I  believe  he  has  a  blessing  in  store  for  our  nation  when  we  are 
sufficiently  humbled  to  receive  it  in  a  right  spirit  and  ready 
properly  to  improve  it.  I  am  even  more  concerned  for  the 
welfare  of  the  Church.  I  fear  our  missionary  treasury  will  be- 
come greatly  embarrassed,  and  our  mission  work  crippled. 
Still  in  this,  too,  I  hope  in  God.  His  resources  are  illimitable, 

and  his  love  to  his  Church  cannot  fail. 

« 

Dr.  M'Clintock,  in  a  letter  from  Paris,  July  27, 
to  his  son,  Mr.  Emory  M'Clintock,  makes  the  fol- 
lowing brief  reference  to  the  Bishop's  visit :  "  Bishop 
Janes  spent  three  days  of  this  week  here  ...  he 
enjoyed  his  stay  highly  .  .  .  and  I  rode  about  with 
him  all  the  time  showing  him  the  sights."  * 

From  Paris  the  Bishop  went  over  to  England. 
He  was  present  at  the  Wesleyan  Conference,  and 

*"Life  and  Letters  of  Rev.  Dr.  M'Clintock."  By  George  R. 
Crooks,  D.D.,  p.  303. 


RETURN  FROM  EUROPE.  251 

mingled  freely  with  the  Methodist  ministers  and 
people.  In  his  public  addresses  and  private  conver- 
sations he  did  not  lose  sight  of  the  one  absorbing 
topic  of  the  hour  with  every  American,  at  home  or 
abroad.  He  did  all  he  could  to  promote  a  correct 
understanding  of  the  great  controversy  between  the 
North  and  the  South.  Dr.  M'Clintock,  in  a  letter 
to  him  after  his  return  to  America,  thus  refers  to 
his  work  in  England : 

Your  services  in  England  were  exceedingly  useful  both  to 
our  Church  and  to  the  country.  The  appreciation  of  them  in 
the  newspapers  is  flattering  to  you,  but  is  not  so  valuable  as 
that  I  receive  from  private  sources — especially  from  William 
Arthur,  whose  judgment  and  sympathy  are  worth  more  than 
any  other  in  the  British  Conference.  He  speaks  in  the  warm- 
est and  most  exalted  terms  of  your  visit  and  its  results.  I  am 
very  thankful  you  were  able  to  go. 

The  Bishop  returned  the  latter  part  of  August, 
and  presided  in  September  at  the  North  Ohio  and 
Ohio  Conferences.  In  the  winter  he  made  a  brief 
visit  to  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  thence  went  to 
Springfield,  O.,  to  attend  the  semi-annual  meeting 
of  the  Board  of  Bishops.  From  Washington,  De- 
cember 9,  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

On  Saturday  I  went  over  to  Virginia  to  see  a  review  of  some 
twenty-five  thousand  troops.  To-day  I  have  been  to  see  the 
President,  the  War  and  Navy  and  Treasury  buildings,  the  Cap- 
itol, both  houses  of  Congress,  and  the  Supreme  Court.  I  have 
also  been  gathering  what  information  I  could  on  subjects  con- 
nected with  the  Christian  Commission. 


252  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

The  Bishop  refers  in  this  letter  to  the  Christian 
Commission.  He  was  connected'  from  the  first 
Avith  this  noble  organization  as  one  of  the  Execu- 
tive Committee.  His  name  on  the  printed  list 
stands. next  to  the  honored  President  of  the  Com- 
mission, Mr.  George  H.  Stuart,  of  Philadelphia. 
But  more  of  this  as  the  war  progresses. 

Immediately  after  the  meeting  of  the  Bishops  at 
Springfield,  O.,  he  -writes  to  his  daughter,  Miss 
Lizzie,  from  Delaware,  O.,Dec.  17: 

We  adjourned  yesterday,  and  I  immediately  took  the  cars 
and  started  for  New  York.  But  when  I  reached  this  place  I 
felt  too  unwell  to  risk  the  two-nights'  journey  to  New  York 
and  then  an  all-night  ride  back  to  Buffalo,  so  I  stopped  here  to 
be  quiet  and  muse  a  little  and  get  well.  I  took  a  very  hard 
cold  in  Washington.  I  slept  better  last  night  and  cough  less 
to-day.  I  expect  a  couple  of  days  of  quiet  in  a  warm  room 
and  a  little  medicine  will  restore  me.  Now  I  have  told  you 
the  worst.  I  am  stopping  with  Rev.  Dr.  Merrick,  President  of 
the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University. 

I  have  referred  to  the  action  of  a  majority  of  the 
Baltimore  Conference  at  its  last  session  (1861.) 
The  session  of  the  spring  of  1862  could  not  be 
otherwise  than  a  very  critical  one.  The  breaking 
out  of  the  war  had  further  complicated  the  difficul- 
ties. Bishop  Janes  was  assigned  to  the  presidency. 
There  was  some  opposition  to  his  coming  on  the 
part  of  the  seceding  element,  and  there  was  a  slight 
war  of  words  in  the  daily  papers  of  Baltimore. 
But  he  went  calmly  forward  to  the  post  of  duty, 


PERPLEXITIES  AT  BALTIMORE.          253 

and  how  well  he  conducted  himself  and  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Conference  the  sequel  has  shown. 
Writing  to  Mrs.  Janes  from  Baltimore,  March  4: 

I  reached  this  city  between  four  and  five  Saturday  after- 
noon. On  Sunday  I  preached  in  the  evening  to  a  large  con- 
gregation. At  three  o'clock  I  addressed  the  class-leaders  of 
the  city  and  vicinity,  who,  to  the  number  of  five  hundred  or 
more,  were  seated  in  the  body  of  the  church.  They  were  a 
noble  looking  assembly  of  men,  of  most  imposing  and  impress- 
ive presence.  My  address  seemed  to  be  well  received.  I 
hope  it  will  be  useful.  Yesterday,  from  early  morn  to  late  at 
night,  I  was  in  the  company  of  church  committees,  or  brethren 
making  calls  to  state  their  own  cases,  or  some  of  the  elder 
members  of  the  Conference  coming  to  renew  their  acquaint- 
ance and  to  inquire  after  my  welfare,  etc.  But  all  had  to 
question  me  on  my  views  respecting  the  anomalous  position 
of  the  Conference  and  my  plan  of  procedure,  etc.  Of  course 
they  must  be  answered  courteously.  To  do  this  and  not  com- 
mit myself  or  my  plans  so  as  to  embarrass  me  hereafter  re- 
quired me  to  think  twice  before  I  spoke  once.  We  shall  have 
some  very  delicate  and  difficult  and  very  responsible  questions 
to  settle.  Party  strife  is  very  violent.  There  is  a  wall  of  fire 
all  around  me ;  go  which  way  I  will  I  must  be  burned.  Or,  in 
other  words,  some  will  be  offended  and  blame  me.  But  that 
is  one  of  the  kind  of  burns  the  balm  of  Gilead  cures.  So  it  is 
not  a  very  serious  affair.  I  am  only  anxious  to  do  right,  to 
promote  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the  Church,  and  the  honor 
of  God.  If  the  newspapers  discuss  me  for  the  next  five  years 
you  will  understand  1  expect  to  survive  it  and  be  happy,  be- 
cause I  shall  try  to  do  right.  I  should  like  to  have  a  little 
home  sunshine  on  my  heart  this  morning.  I  am  glad  you  can 
look  into  each  other's  faces. 

The  address  to  class-leaders,  which  was  delivered 
in  Baltimore  and  elsewhere,  and  which  was  subse- 


254  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

quently  printed  in  tract  form,  was  a  forcible  pres- 
entation of  this  important  institution  of  Methodism. 
The  Bishop,  impressed  as  he  was  not  only  with  the 
usefulness  of  the  class-meeting  in  itself,  but  with  its 
necessity  as  an  integral  part  of  Methodism,  especial- 
ly in  its  complementary  relation  to  an  itinerant  min- 
istry, sought  most  earnestly  and  intelligently  to  re- 
vive the  love  for  it  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  and 
to  promote  attendance  upon  it.  I  quote  but  a 
single  sentence  from  this  admirable  paper : 

Where  else  in  the  Church  is  found  such  intimacy,  such 
stated  seasons  of  fellowship,  such  familiar  conversation  on 
Christian  experience,  such  sympathy,  so  much  helping  of  each 
other's  faith,  and  such  watching  over  one  another  in  love  ? 
This  social  benefit  of  this  means  of  grace  is  sufficient  to  give 
it  interest  and  favor  with  all  who  have  a  relish  for  the  fellow- 
ship ot  saints,  and  to  make  it  useful  in  any  Church  which  will 
adopt  it. 

From  the  chair  of  the  Baltimore  Conference, 
March  6-11,  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Janes : 

One  day's  session  of  the  Conference  has  passed.  Troubles 
have  been  initiated,  I  fear.  Still,  matters  look  no  worse  than 
they  did  before  the  Conference  began.  The  Church  belongs 
to  Christ.  He  bought  it,  owns  it,  it  is  dear  to  him.  He  must 
take  care  of  it.  I  cannot,  only  as  he  directs  and  uses  me. 
My  days  and  nights  are  anxious  ones.  As  yet  we  have  had  no 
great  excitement.  The  agitating  subject  is  now  up,  and  how 
soon  we  may  be  in  a  storm  I  cannot  foresee.  I  trust  in  God. 
I  seek  his  guidance  and  help. 

From  the  Baltimore  he  passed  in  quick  succes- 
sion to  the  New  Jersey,  New  England,  and  New 


DEATH  OF  DR.  BANGS.  255 

York  East  Conferences.  From  Westfield,  the  seat 
of  the  New  England  Conference,  he  writes  to  Mrs. 
Janes,  April  2  : 

My  journey  was  an  uncomfortable  one,  because  I  was  sick. 
-  The  first  two  hours  I  had  a  hard  chill,  the  rest  of  the  way  a 
high  fever.  When  my  fever  was  raging  I  made  poetry,  elab- 
orated speeches,  and  did  all  manner  of  things.  On  arriving 
at  Springfield  I  went  immediately  to  the  hotel,  drank  three 
tumblers  of  ice  water,  and  went  to  bed.  After  a  little  the 
fever  left  me,  and  I  began  to  perspire.  I  slept  pretty  well.  .  I 
took  cars  at  six  in  the  morning  for  here,  and  have  attended  to 
all  my  official  duties  during  the  day,  though  quite  unwell. 

In  the  month  of  May  the  venerable  Nathan 
Bangs,  D.D.,  died  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
was  buried  from  St.  Paul's  Church.  The  Bishop, 
who  had  so  long  and  intimately  known  this  great 
man  of  Methodism,  in  the  funeral  sermon,  after  very 
fitly  and  concisely  presenting  the  outlines  of  his 
character  and  work,  thus  beautifully  describes  his 
latest  years  : 

Like  the  descending  sun  in  the  western  sky,  disrobed  of  his 
meridian  splendors  and  deprived  of  his  noontide  fervor,  un- 
clouded, full-orbed,  with  mellow  radiance  we  see  him  slowly 
and  serenely  descending  the  horizon  of  life.  Most  enchanting 
was  the  moral  beauty  with  which  his  cheerful  old  age  was 
invested. 

After  the  spring  Conferences  had  closed  he  was 
busy  with  all  manner  of  work,  giving  as  much  at- 
tention as  possible  to  the  claims  of  the  Christian 
Commission. 


256  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

June  7,  he  writes  :  "  I  have  been  engaged  much 
of  my  time  with  the  Christian  Commission.  We 
have  had  three  sessions,  and  have  another  this 
evening." 

On  August  28  he  bade  adieu  to  missionaries  about 
to  sail  for  India,  and  then  was  off  again,  "  a  militant 
necessity,"  for  Conferences  in  the  North-west. 
Reaching  Chicago,  after  many  detentions  by  the 
way,  he  performed  there  and  at  Evanston  a  round 
of  exhausting  labors,  and  then  went  on  to  Dodge- 
ville,  Wis.,  the  seat  of  the  West  Wisconsin  Confer- 
ence. Subsequently  he  attended  the  Upper  Iowa, 
North-west  Wisconsin,  Wisconsin,  and  Illinois 
Conferences. 

From  M'Gregor,  Indiana,  he  thus  writes  to  his 
daughter,  Miss  Lizzie,  in  response  to  her  patriotic 
feelings : 

I  am  pleased  to  know  that  you  appreciate  our  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberties,  and  would  be  willing  to  battle  bravely  for 
them.  Our  country  now  needs  gentle  influences  as  well  as 
mighty  ones.  To  preserve  the  social  integrity  of  the  country 
is  as  important  as  to  maintain  its  constitutional  integrity.  If 
our  social,  religious,  and  moral  interests  perish,  our  political 
condition  is  hardly  a  matter  of  concern.  It  is  quite  as  high  an 
office,  quite  as  important  a  service,  to  preserve  the  soul  of  the 
nation  as  it  is  to  protect  the  body  politic.  The  wielding  these 
moral  forces  is  fully  as  noble  and  dignified  as  that  of  directing 
and  employing  its  physical  agencies.  I  do  not  think  any  lady 
need  envy  the  gentlemen  their  mere  physical  superiority.  The 
assthetical,  the  moral  and  religious  influences  she  may  wield 
so  effectively  are  much  more  noble,  and  at  least  equally  poten- 
tial in  molding  national  character  and  determining  national 


IN  IOWA.  257 

destiny.  I  think,  too,  that  here  is  a  sphere  in  which  she  can 
usefully  employ  all  her  patriotism.  The  donning  a  military 
uniform  and  fighting  the  battles  of  freedom  is  perhaps  a  more 
imposing  manifestation  of  patriotism  than  the  quiet,  delicate 
moral  agency  of  the  maiden  who  is  the  charm  of  the  family 
group,  the  ornament  of  the  social  circle,  and  the  mistress  of 
public  taste  and  manners  ;  but  it  is  not  certain  that  the  exer- 
cise of  genuine  patriotism  in  the  former  case  is  either  more 
real  or  more  useful  than  in  the  latter. 

A  correspondent  from  the  Upper  Iowa  Confer- 
ence says  of  Bishop  Janes's  presiding  : 

Bishop  Janes  was  present,  and  presided  with  his  usual 
ability.  A  great  many  members  thought  that  his  address  to 
the  candidates  for  deacon's  orders,  and  his  sermon  on  Sabbath 
morning,  exceeded  any  thing  they  ever  heard  from  him. 
Bishop  Janes  has  presided  with  us  more  frequently  than  any 
other  Bishop  ;  but,  if  we  judge  the  future  by  the  past,  he  will 
never  come  without  meeting  a  cordial  greeting  from  the 
members. 

Few  men  referred  less  in  conversation  to  their 
entertainment  than  Bishop  Janes,  and  no  one  was 
ever  a  guest  who  was  more  careful  to  avoid  giving 
trouble  to  his  hostess.  An  extract  from  a  letter  to 
his  daughter,  Miss  Lizzie,  in  reference  to  his  home 
at  M'Gregor,  may  serve  to  encourage  young  house 
keepers,  and  will  be  appreciated  for  its  delicate  al- 
lusions. It  will  be  seen,  also,  that  he  was  ready  for 
Mr.  Lincoln's  Proclamation  of  Emancipation. 

My  home  at  M'Gregor  was  a  small  but  tasty  cottage  on  a 
hill-side,  simply  furnished,  as  orderly  and  neat  as  a  Christian 
sanctuary  need  be.  The  table  was  all  I  could  desire,  and  as  I 


258  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

desired.  Never  did  sweet,  light  bread  seem  such  a  luxury. 
The  simplest  article  of  diet  was  a  dainty,  because  prepared 
exactly  as  it  should  be.  My  bed  was  as  comfortable  as  any  I 
ever  occupied.  All  my  surroundings  were  charming.  It 
was  an  illustration  of  how  much  comfort  and  elegance  and 
happiness  can  be  enjoyed  in  a  small  home,  with  simple  means. 
Now  shall  I  give  you  the  cause  why  of  all  this  ?  The  lady  was 
from  Newark,  N.  J.,  the  city  of  your  mother's  nativity.  The 
gentleman  was  from  Baltimore,  and  a  cousin  of  our  friend,  Mr. 
Henry  J.  Baker.  Are  not  these  sufficient  reasons  ?  And  now 
I  wish  to  say  I  enjoyed  their  intelligent  Christian  society  even 
more  than  their  generous  hospitality.  May  God  bless  them  ! 
My  home  in  this  place,  Hudson,  Wis.,  is  a  very  good  one. 
We  have  two  Methodist  churches  here,  and  they  are  so  jealous 
of  each  other  they  could  not  agree  upon  a  Methodist  home  for 
the  Bishop.  So  they  settled  the  dispute  by  sending  me  to  a 
Congregational  family.  We  have  just  received  in  these  ends 
of  civilization  the  President's  Emancipation  Proclamation.  It 
is  a  solemn  transaction,  a  good  measure.  I  hope  the  nation 
and  God  will  approve  and  sustain  it.  The  Lord  reigns,  let  the 
earth  rejoice  ! 

From  the  session  of  the  Illinois  Conference  at 
Bloomington,  111.,  October  8,  II,  and  13,  he  writes 
home  : 

My  conference  sessions,  so  far,  on  this  tour  have  been  very 
pleasant.  No  great  excitement  in  the  Conferences.  All  mat- 
ters have  been  controllable.  I  have  never  preached  on  confer- 
ence occasion^  with  more  satisfaction.  I  trust  God  will  give 
me  his  gracious  presence.  I  expect  to  come  home  with  a  good 
conscience.  I  hope  to  find  you  all  happy.  We  must  all  get 
to  heaven — then,  when  any  of  us  take  an  excursion  of  duty  or 
pleasure,  we  can  all  go  along.  Will  we  not  be  a  happy  family 
then  ?  Really,  for  the  short  time  we  are  in  this  world  the 
question  of  our  circumstances  is  not  a  very  grave  one.  Preached 
long  yesterday.  No  recommendation  to  the  sermon,  but  it 


CHRISTIAN  MISSIONS.  259 

shows  I  had  something  to  say.     In  the  evening  I  ordained  the 
German  ministers  in  the  German  church. 

The  following  letter  to  Mrs.  Gov.  Wright,  (then 
Mrs.  Deuel,)  of  New  York,  dated  December  31, 
will  show  the  Bishop's  estimate  not  only  of  the 
Five  Points'  Mission,  in  New  York,  but  also  of  the 
faithful  part  taken  in  the  mission  by  this  devout 
Christian  lady : 

I  have  long  wished  in  some  appropriate  manner  to  express 
to  you  my  high  appreciation  of  the  zeal,  patience,  perseverance, 
and  skill  with  which  you  have  prosecuted  your  arduous  and 
difficult  missionary  work  at  the  Five  Points,  in  this  city.  When 
in  Switzerland,  last  summer,  I  saw  the  accompanying  little  ar- 
ticles, which  were  manufactured  in  Jerusalem  out  of  the  wood 
of  the  olive-tree,  by  self-supporting  missionaries.  They  have 
no  intrinsic  value,  but  I  deem  their  association  with  the  Holy 
Land,  and  with  self-denying  gratuitous  missionary  labors, 
make  them  significant  of  my  sentiments  respecting  your  mis- 
sionary services  before  mentioned.  God  and  duty.  Wishing 
you  a  happy  New-year. 

Early  in  1863  the  Bishop  is  found  busy  dedicat- 
ing a  church  near  Philadelphia,  attending  mission- 
ary meetings  at  Baltimore,  and  engaged  with  the 
departments  at  Washington  in  the  interest  of  the 
Methodist  missions  and  the  Christian  Commission. 
He  and  Dr.  Durbin  officiated  in  the  City  Station, 
Baltimore,  and  raised  missionary  contributions  to  the 
amount  of  $2,250,  "  six  times  as  much  as  last  year." 
Again,  in  the  depths  of  winter,  he  is  engaged  in  a  mis- 
sionary-speaking tour  in  Central  New  York.  Writ- 
ing from  Utica,  N.  Y.,  February  2,  he  says,  "  A  full 


2(5o  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

day's  work,  yesterday.  The  people  will  not  admit 
that  I  am  growing  old,  so  they  hold  me  to  a  young 
man's  work.  I  start  in  a  few  minutes  for  Rome, 
where  we  have  missionary  meetings  this  afternoon 
and  evening." 

In  March  and  April  Bishop  Janes  met  the 
Pittsburgh,  Providence,  Wyoming,  and  Black  River 
Conferences.  The  Bishop  was  assigned  to  the  Pa- 
cific coast  Conferences  again  this  year,  and  he  ac- 
cordingly sailed  from  New  York  June  23.  The 
circumstances  of  his  leaving  home  for  this  long  and 
arduous  journey  were  peculiarly  painful,  because  of 
the  illness  of  his  youngest  daughter.  There  was  a 
violent  struggle  between  the  parental  nature  and 
the  sense  of  official  obligation,  but,  as  usual,  the 
latter  prevailed.  His  correspondence  while  away  is 
full  of  affectionate  solicitude  for  his  darling  Tillie. 
From  the  steamer  "  Ocean  Queen  "  his  first  fugitive 
note,  accompanying  a  daily  record  of  his  voyage,  is 
to  her : 

I  send  these  little  leaves  as  an  evidence  that  I  think  of  you, 
and  would  write  if  I  could.  I  hope  you  are  daily  improving. 
Especially  I  hope  you  are  saved  from  suffering.  May  our 
heavenly  Father  smile  on  you  continually ! 

Writing  to  Mrs.  Janes  the  same  date,  he  says  : 

The  captain,  indeed  all  on  board,  have  treated  me  with  un- 
common courtesy  and  deference.  On  Sunday,  at  their  invita- 
tion, 1  preached  twice.  The  people  were  attentive.  We  have 
two  Presbyterian  ministers  on  board,  but  they  excused  them- 


VOYAGE  TO  THE  PACIFIC  COAST.        261 

selves  on  account  of  being  sick.  So  was  I,  but  I  could  not 
lose  such  an  opportunity  to  preach  Christ.  I  intend  they  shall 
preach  next  Sabbath.  I  cannot  write,  more  than  one  letter  a 
day  without  making  me  ill.  Hoping  it  may  give  an  hour  of 
recreation  to  dear  Tillie,  as  she  lies  on  her  restless  couch,  I 
cut  the  leaves  from  the  little  memoranda  I  have  kept,  and  send 
them  to  her.  I  hope  it  may  make  a  little  break  in  the  monot- 
ony of  the  sick-room.  I  trust  she  is  improving,  and  will  soon 
be  able  to  go  to  the  concert  of  the  birds  and  the  banquet  of  the 
flowers.  O  how  I  should  relish  just  four  of  the  luscious  cher- 
ries from  Mount  Wesley ! 

To  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Harris,  who  was  also  an 
invalid  at  the  time,  he  thus  playfully  describes  him- 
self as  a  prisoner  on  shipboard,  steamship  "  Consti- 
tution," Pacific  Ocean,  July  10  : 

I  can  appreciate  your  confinement,  for  I  am  a  more  closely 
kept  prisoner  than  you  are.  O,  if  I  could  only  walk  out,  call 
on  a  neighbor,  do  an  errand,  any  thing  to  break  this  monot- 
ony !  Just  the  same  move  of  the  engine,  the  same  motions 
of  the  boat,  the  same  steps  to  the  table,  the  same  place  to  sit 
down,  the  same  noise  of  children,  the  same  sights  of  novel- 
reading  and  card-playing,  the  same  expanse  of  waters,  the 
same  blue  sky,  the  same  burning  sun,  the  same  bad  feelings  ! 
A  monotony  of  discomforts  !  Still  every  evolution  of  the  en- 
gine, every  time  the  vessel  rises  and  falls  as  she  crosses  the 
waves,  brings  us  nearer  our  desired  haven.  Every  time  we  pre- 
tend to  take  a  meal  we  leave  the  number  of  such  occasions  less 
on  board.  Every  diurnal  revolution  of  the  burning  sun  meas- 
ures off  a  large  piece  of  the  distance  that  remains  of  our  tedious 
voyage.  So  there  is  a  pleasant  aspect  of  the  affair.  It  is  some- 
what difficult  to  find  it  and  enjoy  it,  nevertheless  it  is  a  real 
bright  view — a  silver  lining  to  the  cloud.  I  try  to  keep  my  eye 
on  it. 

To  his  daughter  Tillie,  a  few  days  afterward  : 
12 


262  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

How  is  Miss  Appetite  ?  She  is  a  fickle  maid,  a  good  deal 
of  a  coquette.  By  the  by,  our  captain  is  a  foxy  old  fellow.  It 
is  the  usage  for  the  captain  to  select  those  who  sit  at  his  table. 
He  likes  his  champagne  at  dinner  ;  he  is  a  jolly  old  man,  likes 
wit  and  jokes  and  fun.  The  captain  knew  I  did  not  drink 
wine,  and  that  I  would  be  a  little  constraint  upon  the  hilarity 
and  conviviality  of  the  company  if  I  was  in  their  midst,  and 
yet  he  wished  to  treat  me  with  respect.  So  he  sends  the  stew- 
ard with  the  captain's  compliments  to  Bishop  Janes,  with  the 
request  that  he  would  preside  at  the  other  end  of  the  table. 
As  far  from  him  as  possible  and  be  at  his  table,  but  still  a  dig- 
nity to  be  appreciated.  So  I  complacently  accepted  the  honor. 
The  cunning  old  man,  somehow  or  other,  found  just  which  of 
his  table  guests  used  wine  and  which  did  not,  and  he  seated 
those  who  use  it  at  his  end  of  the  table,  and  those  who  do  not 
at  my  end  of  the  table.  So  we  are  arranged  as  if  by  elective 
affinities.  I  do  not  think  it  was  an  accident,  unless,  as  the 
boys  used  to  say,  "  it  was  an  accident  done  on  purpose."  At 
any  rate,  it  has  been  very  pleasant  to  be  in  congenial  company. 
I  have  the  same  captain  and  officers  that  were  on  the  steamer 
I  went  out  in  in  1857.  They  all  remembered  me,  and  really 
seemed  pleased  to  see  me.  The  doctor  told  me  he  remem- 
bered the  sermon  I  preached  at  that  time.  The  steward  re- 
newed his  acquaintance  by  bringing  me  some  oranges.  I 
think  it  is  evidence  that  I  behaved  pretty  well  at  that  time.  It 
also  shows  that  a  minister  should  always  and  every-where  be 
on  his  good  behavior,  as  he  is  always  a  watched  man. 

The  Bishop,  after  arriving  at  San  Francisco,  im- 
mediately visited  Santa  Clara,  the  seat  of  the  Meth- 
odist University,  and  a  few  points  in  California,  and 
started  on  July  27  for  the  Oregon  Conference. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Marysville,  Cal.,  July  30 : 

I  start  at  two  o'clock  in  the  stage  for  Oregon.  Shall  ride 
all  night  to-night ;  to-morrow  cross  the  Trinity  Mountains, 


CALIFORNIA  AND  OREGON.  263 

and,  by  traveling  all  night  to-morrow  night,  reach  Yreka  about 
noon  on  Saturday.  A  long,  hard  ride  is  before  me,  but  I  in- 
tend to  enjoy  it.  God  lives  all  along  the  road,  and  I  expect  to 
converse  with  him  and  enjoy  his  presence  and  intercommunion. 
If  it  was  not  too  familiar  and  seemingly  irreverent  language,  I 
would  say  I  expect  him  to  be  my  traveling  companion.  Enoch 
walked  with  God,  why  may  I  not  ride  with  hiny>  Faith  gives 
us  some  wonderful  realizations,  marvelous  apprehensions,  and 
glorious  fruitions.  Faith,  hope,  and  love  are  a  trinity  of  pow- 
ers adequate  to  transform  and  spiritualize  and  beautify  poor 
sinners  here  in  their  probationary  state ;  to  make  this  estate 
of  warfare,  of  trials  and  of  toils,  one  of  peace  and  of  comforts 
and  of  rest ;  to  make  time  a  holy  moment  of  eternity  ;  to  make 
death  a  sweet  passing  out  of  this  moment  of  time  into  the  ages 
of  eternity  ;  a  mere  stepping  out  of  the  ark  of  safety  on  to  the 
Ararat  of  immortality. 

The  Bishop  took  the  overland  route  to  Oregon 
and  back,  wishing  to  see  the  state  of  the  country 
and  the  Churches,  and  also  desiring  the  dry  mount- 
ain air  for  his  health.  I  give  some  extracts  from 
his  letters  on  this  journey. 

From  Yreka,  Cal.,  August  I  : 

I  feel  I  did  right  in  coming  to  this  coast  this  summer.  As 
this  work  was  assigned  me  all  the  consequences  must  be  right. 
My  mind  is  serene  and  hopeful.  I  preach  with  full  my  usual 
pleasure,  and  preach  short.  I  try  to  hit  the  nail  on  the  head 
quick.  I  hope  to  quarry  out,  and  perhaps  polish,  some  lively 
stones  from  these  Pacific  quarries. 

From  Salem,  Oregon,  August  8  : 

I  find  it  a  trial  to  be  so  long  without  knowing  the  state  of 
affairs  in  ihe  East  in  these  times  when  such  great  events  are 
occurring.  To  be  a  month  without  knowing  what  has  taken 
place  taxes  one's  self-control  pretty  thoroughly  to  maintain 


264  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

equanimity  of  feelings.  To  this  time  I  know  very  little  of  tHe 
operations  of  the  mob  in  New  York.  Still,  momentous  as  are 
national  movements  and  occurrences,  I  could  wait  quite  pa- 
tiently to  learn  them  if  I  could  only  get  daily  or  even  weekly 
domestic  news.  Good  is  the  will  of  the  Lord.  I  think  I  am 
in  my  place  of  duty.  I  find  these  Conferences  here  greatly 
needed  a  Bishop  this  year.  There  are  serious  troubles  in  both 
Conferences — serious,  at  best,  in  their  results:  undoubtedly 
much  more  serious  if  there  was  no  Bishop  present  with  author- 
ity and  experience  to  direct  and  control  them.  I  trust  God 
will  make  my  visit  to  these  Conferences  and  Churches  and 
States  promotive  of  his  cause  and  kingdom  among  the  people. 

From  Albany,  Oregon,  August  11,  to  the  home 
circle  : 

We  must  appreciate  and  improve  the  good  conferred  in  or- 
der to  be  qualified  to  receive  and  enjoy  and  rightly  estimate 
other  gifts.  The  martyr  in  his  cell  would  be  unwise  to  refuse 
to  use  and  enjoy  the  few  rays  of  light  that  struggle  through 
his  grated  window  because  it  did  not,  through  a  broad,  bright 
window,  blaze  all  about  him.  The  mariner  would  be  very  un- 
wise to  refuse  to  take  his  observations  from  a  star  because  the 
clouds  concealed  the  sun.  So  it  is  error  in  us  to  refuse  or  fail 
to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  our  lot  because  they  are  not  more  or 
greater.  If  we  have  pleasant  sights  for  the  eye  do  not  let  us 
fail  to  enjoy  them  because  we  have  not  at  the  same  time 
pleasant  sounds  for  the  ear  and  pleasant  tastes  for  the  palate. 
If  we  have  pleasant  rooms  and  good  beds  and  comfortable 
chairs  and  beautiful  pictures  and  fragrant  bouquets,  do  not  let 
us  disregard  them  or  fail  to  enjoy  them  because  we  cannot  be 
in  Central  Park  and  amid  rural  scenes  of  verdure  and  beauty. 
If  we  have  at  home  a  Bible  and  a  closet  and  a  mercy-seat  we 
will  not  neglect  to  improve  and  enjoy  them  because  we  cannot 
go  to  the  sanctuary  to  worship  God. 

From  Yreka,  Cal.,  August  21,  to  the  home  circle : 


CALIFORNIA  AND  OREGON.  265 

We  have  traveled  most  of  the  way  here  in  large  covered 
wagons  ;  most  of  the  way  from  here  we  shall  have  regular 
stage  coaches.  So  I  consider  myself  more  than  half  over  my 
staging  on  my  return  journey.  As  I  shall  not  travel  on  Sun- 
day, I  cannot  reach  Marysville  until  Monday  night — some  time 
in  the  night.  My  journey  has  been  a  rough  one.  and  some 
rough  fare  ;  for  instance,  night  before  last,  in  the  night,  the 
stage  stopped  four  hours.  I  tried  to  get  a  bed,  but  the  land- 
lord said  his  beds  were  all  full.  I  asked  for  a  lounge  or  any 
thing  of  the  kind,  but  he  had  nothing.  After  much  palaver  I 
got  a  blanket  and  the  privilege  of  lying  on  the  floor  in.  an  open, 
cold  room.  I  made  the  best  of  it,  and  slept  three  hours  sound- 
ly ;  woke  up  very  stiff  and  sore,  paid  half  a  dollar  for  the  use 
of  a  plank  and  a  blanket  for  three  hours,  and  started  off  again, 
thankful  for  my  sleep  under  disadvantages. 

September  i,  about  to  start  for  Napa  City,  the 
scat  of  the  California  Conference,  the  Bishop's 
yearning  heart  cries  out  homeward  : 

Can't  you  send  a  zephyr  across  the  continent  to  tell  me  how 
you  all  are  this  morning  ?  O  how  gladly  would  I  listen  to  his 
message !  Well,  I  suppose  all  I  can  do  is,  to  pray,  and  hope 
for  the  best. 

The  following  incident  connected  with  the 
Bishop's  preaching  in  San  Francisco  at  this  time 
is  noticed  in  the  "  San  Francisco  Star  :  " 

While  Bishop  Janes  was  preaching  to  a  crowded  audience, 
in  the  basement  of  the  new  church  now  being  erected  on 
Howard-street,  the  gas  suddenly  went  out,  leaving  the  congre- 
gation in  total  darkness.  The  Bishop,  with  rare  presence  of 
mind,  remarked,  "  The  Gospel  light  shineth  in  dark  places," 
and  continued  his  discourse ;  and  such  was  the  charm  of  his 
naturally  weak,  but  admirably  modulated  and  controlled  voice, 
that  none  of  his  large  audience  moved  from  their  positions, 


266  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

but  perfect  silence  and  order  were  observed  until  light  was  ob- 
tained. To  the  ear  nothing  indicated  that  any  thing  unusual 
had  occurred.  The  effect  of  listening  to  a  discourse  uttered 
amid  darkness  was  singular  in  the  extreme. 

The  Bishop  returned  from  the  Pacific  coast  by 
the  overland  route,  then  a  long  and  tedious  journey 
of  three  weeks.  He  had  written  home,  before  leav- 
ing California,  that  a  telegram  should  be  sent  as  to 
the  health  of  the  family,  to  meet  him  at  Fort  Kear- 
ney by  a  certain  date.  The  wires  had  only  just 
been  laid.  On  the  very  day  he  had  named  came 
the  message,  "  Matilda  the  same.  Charlotte  still 
about.  Mother  and  I  well."  Cheered,  he  went  on 
his -way. 


DEATH  OF  HIS  DAUGHTER  TILLIE.       267 


CHAPTER  XV. 

1863-1865. 

Death  of  his  daughter  Tillie — Lay  Delegation — General  Conference 
at  Philadelphia — Loyalty  and  services  in  the  War — Second  visit  to 
Europe. 

IN  the  autumn  and  winter  of  this  year  the  Bishop 
had  seen  his  daughter  Tillie  gradually  and  cer- 
tainly failing.  No  skill  or  nursing  or  solicitude 
could  arrest  the  progress  of  the  destroyer.  The 
writer  was  the  pastor  of  the  family  at  the  time,  and 
was  permitted  to  minister  at  the  sick-bed  of  this  de- 
vout young  Christian.  In  person  and  mind  she  bore 
a  marked  resemblance  to  her  father.  Converted  to 
God  when  she  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  through  the 
instrumentality  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Bradstreet,  her  Bible 
class  teacher,  she  rapidly  developed  into  a  very  in- 
telligent, active,  and  fervent  believer.  She  used  to 
say,  "  I  try  to  get  right  in  front  of  Mr.  Bradstreet, 
that  I  may  catch  every  word  he  speaks." 

During  the  special  revival  services  held  at  St. 
Paul's,  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1862-63,  she 
was  a  constant  attendant,  and  no  one  manifested  a 
closer  sympathy  with  the  pastor  in  his  work.  Her 
last  illness  was  painful  and  protracted,  but  through 
it  all  her  faith  was  unshaken  and  her  unselfishness 


268  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

supreme.  She  thought  less  of  herself  than  of  others. 
Her  constant  inquiry  was  as  to  the  success  of  the 
Sunday-school  and  the  work  of  religion  among  her 
young  friends.  The  pastor  quoting  to  her,  on  one 
occasion,  a  text  from  which  he  had  preached  the 
previous  Sunday,  "  Whom  having  not  seen,  ye  love," 
she  quickly  responded,  "  Whom  having/*?//,  I  love." 
As  she  approached  the  dying  hour  she  said,  "  I 
have  come  down  to  the  river ;  Jesus  has  me  all 
tucked  up  in  his  arms.  He  will  get  me  over  some- 
how. Love  me  a  little  when  I  have  gone."  On  the 
missionary  day  at  St.  Paul's,  the  first  Sunday  after 
her  death,  Mrs.  Janes  sent  a  note  to  the  pastor  say- 
ing :  "  The  inclosed  ten  dollars  belonged  to  our 
dear  Tillie.  It  was  her  dying  request  that  it  should 
be  given  to  the  Missionary  Society  through  her  be- 
loved Bible  class."  Thus  was  her  heart  in  its  last 
pulsations  in  unison  with  the  great  missionary  spirit. 
This  bereavement  deeply  affected  the  Bishop. 
There  could  be  discerned  under  the  calm  exterior 
a  deep  and  pensive  sadness  that  indicated  how  vio- 
lent was  the  struggle  in  his  manly  breast.  But 
Christian  faith  and  hope  triumphed  over  his  natural 
sorrow.  How  marked  the  contrast  between  his  con- 
duct and  that  of  the  renowned  Cicero  under  like 
conditions  !  No  ancient  philosopher  had  written 
more  clearly  and  plausibly  of  immortality  than  the 
eloquent  Roman  ;  but  when  death  snatched  away 
his  beloved  Tullia  he  was  inconsolable ;  wandering 


DEATH  OF  HIS  DAUGHTER  TILLIE.       269 

from  grove  to  sea-side,  he  built  shrines  to  her  mem- 
ory, but  could  not  be  comforted  because  she  had 
gone  he  knew  not  whither.  How  confidently  and 
serenely  this  Christian  parent  looked  up  to  the  great 
and  merciful  Father,  and  was  assured  of  the  immor- 
tality and  happiness  of  his  dead,  is  well  attested  by 
the  following  letter  which  he  addressed  to  Tillie 
soon  after  her  translation : 

When  it  was  your  turn  for  a  letter  from  father  before,  for 
reasons  I  need  not  name,  I  did  not  address  you.  But  as  your 
turn  has  come  again  I  feel  unwilling  to  pass  you.  This  will 
not  be  the  first  letter  I  ever  wrote  you  which  I  did  not  expect 
you  would  read.  I  wrote  you  many  in  your  early  childhood  that 
dear  mother  had  to  read  to  you.  I  have  also  written  you 
many  I  did  not  expect  you  would  answer,  not  only  in  your 
childhood,  but  during  your  long  illness.  It  was  a  happiness 
to  me  to  write  you.  I  cannot  expect  you  will  answer  this  let- 
ter with  pen  and  ink.  That  beautiful  hand — it  will  not  make 
you  vain  to  say  there  never  was  a  more  beautiful  one — will 
never  write  "  dear  papa "  again.  I  am  not  certain  but  that 
you  may  see  this  letter,  and  as  an  evidence  of  loving  remem- 
brance it  may  give  you  a  pleasurable  emotion.  At  any  rate  I 
like  to  continue  this  habit  of  love,  of  writing  to  you.  I  am  not 
sure  I  have  any  news  to  tell  you.  Have  you  not  been  cogni- 
zant of  all  my  doings  since  you  left  me?  Have  you  not  wit- 
nessed my  travels  and  services  ?  Perhaps  so,  and  consequently 
I  can  give  you  no  information  concerning  myself.  Though 
you  may  be  acquainted  with  our  outward  circumstances,  I 
doubt  whether  you  can  read  our  hearts.  You  may  know  from 
the  tear  on  the  cheek  that  we  are  unhappy,  or  from  the  smile 
on  our  lips  that  we  are*  rejoicing,  but  the  cause  and  character 
of  our  experience  probably  you  may  not  discern.  I  do  not 
think  you  know  how  lonely  and  sad  we  felt  after  you  left  us. 
While  we  had  your  precious  body  with  us  our  loss  was  but 
12* 


LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

partial.  But  when  in  the  most  delicate,  honored,  and  religious 
manner  possible  we  had  laid  that  out  of  our  sight,  and  real- 
ized that  its  eyes  would  no  longer  beam  on  us,  its  lips  no  more 
address  us,  or  face  no  more  smile  on  us  until  the  resurrection 
morning,  we  felt  very  desolate.  There  was  a  great  vacancy 
in  our  sweet  home,  an  irrepressible  desire  for  the  loved  pres- 
ence, an  anxious  looking  for  her  appearance,  and  then  the  pain- 
ful recollection,  she  will  never  come — O  !  it  was  a  wonderful  ex- 
perience !  With  me  it  still  remains — I  think  will  ever  continue 
until  you  hail  me  partaker  of  your  glory.  Even  if  I  knew  you 
•would  read  this  statement  I  should  not  fear  it  would  pain  you. 
I  believe  all  painful  experience  with  you  is  past.  But  if  you 
were  susceptible  of  sorrowful  emotions,  I  do  not  think  this  knowl- 
edge would  make  you  unhappy.  In  the  light  that  now  shines 
upon  you,  you  understand  the  reason  for  this  providence,  you 
see  how  it  works  for  our  good.  God's  ways  are  all  plain  and 
pleasing  to  you.  "Alleluia,  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent 
reigneth,"  is  the  song  of  your  heart.  And  if  you  know  our  sor- 
rows, you  also  know  our  joys.  You  know  how  God  comforts  us. 
You  also  know  how  frequent  our  recollections  of  you  are ; 
how  sweet  and  strong  our  assurance  is  that  Jesus  will  watch 
your  sleeping  dust,  and  bid  it  rise  again  like  unto  his  glorious 
body.  You  know  how  we  have  delighted  to  think  of  you  as  en- 
joying the  beatitudes  of  the  heavenly  estate.  I  have  allowed 
myself  to  imagine  how  things  occurred  with  you,  and  how  they 
seemed  to  you  as  you  entered  the  realm  of  glory.  I  have 
thought  it  not  improbable  that  the  spirit  of  him  who  enabled 
you  by  faith  to  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world,"  had  some  agency  in  bringing  you  to  the 
open  vision  of  the  glorious  Saviour.  I  am  certain  that  vision 
was  not  withheld  from  you.  To  see  Christ  as  he  is,  O  !  who 
could  turn  away  from  that  entertaining  sight  even  to  look  after 
loved  and  loving  friends  upon  earth  ?  Still  I  believe  such  are 
the  powers  of  the  glorified  spirits  that  somehow  or  other,  while 
they  enjoy  heaven  they  are  familiar  with  earth.  I  can  never 
cease  to  love  Tillie — I  do  not  believe  she  will  ever  cease  to  love 
me.  Because  I  love  you  I  rejoice  in  your  happiness. 


LAY  REPRESENTATION.  271 

Tillie,  I  know  where  you  are  ;  you  are  not  lost.  I  know  what 
you  are.  This  knowledge  of  your  welfare,  how  it  comforts 
me !  I  am  willing  you  should  be  there.  I  would  not  call  you 
away.  I  had  rather  pass  through  what  remains  to  me  of  life 
without  the  cheer  of  your  presence  than  interrupt  your  enjoy- 
ment of  your  Saviour,  or  divert  you  from  his  praise.  I  sup- 
pose you  have  seen  angels  and  seraphs — and  the  spirits  of  the 
just  made  perfect.  How  glad  aunty  was  to  welcome  you  ! 
Have  you  not  seen  grandpapa  and  grandmamma  ?  You  did 
not  know  them  in  this  world.  I  judge  they  have  found  you, 
and  rejoiced  with  you  ere  this.  Have  you  ever  thought,  "  I 
wish  father  and  mother  and  brother  and  sisters  knew  how 
happy  I  am  ?"  Well,  we  do  know  all  we  can  comprehend — 
thank  God  for  the  holy  Bible !  Let  me  assure  you  we  are 
coming  to  see  you  ;  we  shall  let  our  heavenly  Father  set  the 
time,  but  we  are  all  coming.  The  time  may  seem  long  to  us, 
but  it  will  not  seem  long  to  you.  We  are  all  coming — we  are 
even  going  to  bring  little  Guy  *  with  us. 

Till  we  meet  thus,  I  remain  your  loving  father. 

The  lay-delegation  movement  was  steadily  grow- 
ing in  the  Church.  A  call  had  been  issued  for  a 
general  convention  of  representative  laymen,  to 
meet  at  St.  Paul's  Church,  New  York,  on  the  I3th 
of  May,  1863.  The  chairman  of  the  committee  of 
arrangements,  Mr.  Daniel  L.  Ross,  addressed  to 
Bishop  Janes,  as  I  presume  he  did  to  all  the  Bish- 
ops, a  respectful  and  cordial  invitation  to  give  his 
"presence  and  counsel"  on  the  occasion.  The 
Bishop  saw  fit  to  decline  in  the  folfowing  courteous 
and  considerate  letter  : 

I  appreciate  the  courtesy  of  the  committee  in  the  invitation 
they  have  extended  to  me  to  attend  a  convention  of  Methodist 

*The  infant  son  of  her  sister,  Mrs.  Harris. 


272  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

laymen  to  be  held  in  St.  Paul's  Church.  Holding,  as  I  do,  one 
of  the  highest  executive  offices  in  the  Church,  and  one  which 
places  me  in  a  peculiarly  delicate  and  responsible  relation  to 
all  the  ministers  and  Churches  of  the  Connection,  I  judge  it 
inexpedient  for  me  to  identify  myself  with  your  proposed  con- 
vention. I  therefore  feel  obliged,  in  the  most  respectful 
manner,  to  decline  your  very  courteous  invitation.  I  wish  it 
understood  that  in  this  declinature  I  express  no  opinion,  pro 
or  con,  upon  the  subject  which  the  convention  is  called  to  con- 
sider. I  only  state  what  I  believe  to  be  the  more  expedient 
and  proper  course  for  me  in  relation  to  attending  the  conven- 
tion. I  presume  some  will  differ  with  me  on  this  point.  I 
avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  express  the  high  estimate 
in  which  I  hold  the  intelligence,  piety,  and  usefulness  of  my 
lay  brethren,  and  the  full  confidence  I  feel  in  their  fidelity  to 
God  and  loyalty  to  the  Church.  I  thank  God  that  he  has 
moved  my  heart  to  the  tenderest  and  strongest  pastoral  love  for 
all  the  people  to  whom  he  has  given  me  the  relation  of  super- 
intendent, and  that  he  has  inspired  me  with  an  intense  desire 
in  every  possible  way  to  contribute  to  their  highest  welfare. 

Whatever  may  have  been  Bishop  Janes's  opinions 
upon  this  or  any  other  question  involving  funda- 
mental changes  in  the  polity  of  Methodism,  he  felt 
that  he  could  not,  in  view  of  the  responsibility  of 
his  office  to  all  classes  of  people,  be  a  leader  in  the 
movements  contemplating  such  changes.  He  felt 
that  a  definite  work  was  committed  to  him,  and 
that  he  was  an  executive,  not  a  legislative,  officer. 
His  function  was  to  obey  the  behests  of  the  General 
Conference ;  to  conserve  and  build  up  the  Church 
of  which  he  was  an  overseer  under  well-defined 
rules  of  order.  He  was  by  instinct  a  leader,  and 
had  he  not  been  very  early  in  life  weighted  with 


CHRISTIAN  COMMISSION.  "  273 

such  engrossing  and  consuming  official  cares,  he 
probably  would  have  always  been  among  the  fore- 
most in  foreseeing  and  advocating  wholesome  modi- 
fications. It  is  certain  he  was  never  alarmed,  espe- 
cially in  later  life,  for  the  safety  of  the  Church  when 
modifications  were  proposed  or  adopted.  Hence 
when,  in  1869,  the  laity  finally  voted  to  accept  the 
offer  of  the  General  Conference  composed  wholly 
of  ministerial  delegates  that  they  should  have  lay 
delegation  when  the  people  desired  it,  no  one  was 
more  eager  than  he  was  that  the  ministers  in  the 
Annual  Conferences  should,  by  their  votes,  satisfy 
the  wishes  of  the  laity.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  ex- 
press himself  to  this  effect  with  those  with  whom 
he  was  intimate. 

During  the  spring  of  1864  the  Bishop  was  as  con- 
stantly occupied  with  the  work  of  the  Christian 
Commission  as  his  official  duties  would  allow — 
planning  for  the  holding  of  public  meetings  to 
arouse  the  public  to  its  importance  and  to  raise 
funds  for  its  treasury,  speaking  in  its  advocacy,  and 
even  going  as  far  to  the  front  of  the  army  as  cir- 
cumstances would  allow  to  preach  to  the  soldiers 
and  relieve  their  wants.  The  Rev.  W.  E.  Board- 
man,  D.  D.,  Secretary  of  the  Commission,  thus  re- 
fers, May  28,  to  a  visit  the  Bishop  made  with  Mr. 
Stuart  to  the  army  of  the  Potomac : 

Mr.  Stuart  has  just  returned  full  and  running  over  with  in- 
cident and  interest  of  our  army  work.  Of  the  Camp  ConvaTes- 


274  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

cent  visit  I  need  not  speak.  He  speaks  of  your  own  morning 
sermon  there  with  strong  emphasis,  as  the  grand  preparation 
for  all  the  after  services  and  amazing  interest  of  the  day. 

No  bare  outlines,  not  even  verbatim  reports,  could 
give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  effectiveness  of  Bishop 
Janes's  eloquent  addresses  in  pleading  the  cause  of 
the  soldiers.  He  foresaw,  as  we  have  all  since  seen, 
the  importance  of  preserving  the  moral  purity  of  the 
army,  in  view  not  only  of  their  well-being  while  un- 
der arms,  but  also  of  their  return  to  civil  life  when 
the  war  should  close,  and  so  expressed  himself. 

The  General  Conference  met  in  the  Union  Church, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  on  May  2,  1864.  With  this  Gen- 
eral Conference  Bishop  Janes  completed  the  twen- 
tieth year  of  his  episcopacy.  Referring  to  this  fact 
in  a  letter  from  St.  Johnsbury,  Vermont,  the  seat 
of  the  Vermont  Conference,  April  14,  he  says: 

This  is  my  last  Conference  for  my  twentieth  year  in  the  epis- 
copal office.  I  have  great  reason  to  be  thankful  to  my  heav- 
enly Father  for  preserving  me  and  divinely  aiding  me  in  such 
a  series  of  important  and  difficult  duties. 

The  Bishops,  in  their  Address  to  the  General 
Conference,  say: 

On  a  survey  of  the  pastoral  work  we  are  moved  to  exclaim, 
"The  best  of  all  is,  God  is  with  us  ! "  .  .  .  Despite  the  Rebellion 
and  the  excitements  and  agitations  of  the  war,  it  still  resounds 
in  our  churches.  God  has  not  forgotten  to  be  gracious.  His 
presence  is  mightily  felt  in  our  assemblies,  and  he  has  crowned 
the  labors  of  his  faithful  servants  with  numerous,  and  in  many 
instances  powerful,  revivals. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1864.         275 

Happily  the  exigencies  of  the  civil  war  lifted  the 
General  Conference  out  of  all  its  embarrassments 
on  the  slavery  question,  and  the  General  Rule  was  so 
changed  as  to  exclude  slave-holding  from  the  Church. 
The  feeling  was,  that  the  General  Government  need- 
ed all  the  moral  force  the  Conference  could  give  it 
in  grappling  with  the  Rebellion,  whose  inspiration 
was  slavery.  The  General  Rule  was  afterward  rati- 
fied by  the  Annual  Conferences  with  equal  una- 
nimity. Thus  the  sword  cut  the  knot  which  the 
theologians  had  tried  in  vain  to  untie. 

"  Lay  representation  in  the  General  Conference  " 
had  been  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  ministers  and 
laymen,  and  had  failed  of  a  majority.  From  a  con- 
vention of  laymen  held  at  St.  George's  Church, 
Philadelphia,  May  18,  a  committee,  of  which  ex- 
Governor  Wright,  of  Indiana,  was  chairman,  was 
received  by  the  Conference,  and  addressed  the  body 
in  a  strong  plea  for  lay  representation.  The  Con- 
ference, however,  respectfully  declined  all  action, 
simply  adhering  to  its  former  position,  "  whenever 
it  shall  be  ascertained  that  the  Church  desires  it." 

Three  additional  Bishops  were  elected  :  Davis  W. 
Clark,  D.D.,  Edward  Thomson,  D.D.,  and  Calvin 
Kingsley,  D.D.  By  a  large  majority,  the  pastoral 
term  was  changed  from  two  to  three  years  as  the 
limit  a  minister  could  be  continued  in  any  one 
charge.  The  Rev.  W.  L.  Thornton,  M.A.,  was  re- 
ceived as  a  delegate  from  the  British  Conference, 


276  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

and  the  Rev.  Robinson  Scott,  D.  D.,  from  the  Irish 
Conference,  and  Bishop  Janes  was  appointed  to  visit 
those  Conferences  as  the  fraternal  delegate  from 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Among  the  marked  features  of  the  General  Con- 
ference was  its  thorough  loyalty  to  the  United 
States  Government  in  the  crisis  through  which  it 
was  then  passing.  A  committee  was  appointed  to 
convey  to  President  Lincoln  the  sentiments  of  the 
Conference,  to  which.  Mr.  Lincoln  made  the  follow- 
ing reply : 

.  .  .  Nobly  sustained  as  the  Government  has  been  by  all  the 
Churches,  I  would  utter  nothing  that  might  in  the  least  appear 
invidious  against  any.  Yet  without  this,  it  may  fairly  be  said  that 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  not  less  devoted  than  the  best, 
is,  by  its  greater  numbers,  the  most  important  of  all.  It  is  no 
fault  in  others  that  the  Methodist  Church  sends  more  soldiers 
to  the  field,  more  nunses  to  the  hospitals,  and  more  prayers  to 
heaven  than  any.  God  bless  the  Methodist  Church !  bless  all 
the  Churches  !  And,  blessed  be  God  !  who,  in  this  great  trial, 
giveth  us  the  Churches. 

The  Bishop  dispatched  almost  daily  letters  to 
Mrs.  Janes.  These  were  often  written  in  the  con- 
ference room,  as  "  he  wrote  with  one  hand  and  list- 
ened with  one  ear."  To  cheer  her  heart  and  relieve 
his  own,  such  thoughts  as  the  following  dropped 
from  his  pen  : 

Who  gains  the  victory  over  death  ?  Christ,  who  having  laid 
down  his  life  took  it  again. 

The  dying  Christian  gains  this  victory  when  he  meets  death 
without  fear.  He  can  say  to  death,  "  I  spend  the  night  with 


FIRST  COLORED  CONFERENCE.  277 

you  in  sweet  repose,  but  I  shall  wake  and  leave  your  domain 
in  the  morning.     I  only  accept  your  hospitalities." 

"  We  will  not  plant  above  thee,  O,  grave !  the  weeping-willow, 
as  an  emblem  of  sorrow  and  despair,  but  we  will  plant  the 
evergreen,  the  symbol  of  hope ;  and  the  fragrant  flowers  shall 
shed  their  perfume  around  thee.  Thou  shalt  be  a  thing  of 
beauty  as  well  as  a  thing  of  service." 

It  fell  to  Bishop  Janes  to  organize  the  first  Con- 
ference of  colored  ministers  provided  for  by  the 
late  General  Conference,  in  the  city  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  July  of  the  same  year.  He  thus  speaks  of 
them,  July  20: 

I  yesterday  met  my  colored  brothers — some  thirty  of  them. 
A  very  pleasant  meeting  with  them.  The  colored  (Delaware) 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  no  humbug. 
It  is  a  grand  beginning  of  good  things  to  the  poor  colored 
people. 

The  Bishop  held  several  of  the  Western  Confer- 
ences the  ensuing  autumn.  Extracts  from  a  letter 
from  Keokuk,  the  seat  of  the  Iowa  Conference,  to 
Miss  Lizzie,  September  12,  will  suffice: 

There  has  no  incident  of  interest  occurred  with  me  unless  it 
be  the  one  I  will  now  relate.  Last  Saturday  a  United  States 
Senator  said  to  the  Methodist  .preacher  in  B.,  "I  hear  Bishop 
Janes  is  in  the  city,  will  he  preach  to-morrow  ?  "  "  Yes,  sir." 
"Well,  I  wish  to  hear  him  for  a  special  reason.  Fourteen 
years  ago  I  was  traveling  on  the  New  York  Central  Railroad. 
I  entered  into  conversation  with  the  gentleman  occupying  the 
seat  with  me.  I  found  him  ready  to  converse,  and  was  inter- 
ested in  his  remarks.  Myself  and  friends  had  a  flask  of 
brandy  with  us.  When  we  drank  we  invited  him  to  drink 
with  us.  He  replied,  '  I  have  no  use  for  any  liquor.'  Conver- 


278  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

sation  was  continued,  and  after  awhile  we  took  another  drink, 
and  urged  the  stranger  to  join  us.  He  declined,  saying  that 
he  did  not  use  spirits  because  he  did  not  need  them,  and  he- 
cause  he  wished  his  example  to  be  in  favor  of  temperance,  etc. 
As  we  journeyed,  conversation  was  continued  from  time  to  time." 

In  the  afternoon,  he  said,  at  a  station,  several  ministerial 
looking  gentlemen  came  into  the  car,  and  they  all  recog- 
nized me  and  spoke  to  me.  At  the  next  station  more  came  in, 
who  in  like  manner  addressed  me.  At  the  next  station  still 
more  came  in  and  saluted  me.  Finally,  when  I  left  the  car, 
the  ministerial  looking  men  all  left  with  me.  His  curiosity  led 
him  to  go  to  one  of  them  and  ask  who  I  was.  He  told  him  it 
was  Bishop  Janes,  who  had  come  there  to  preside  at  a  Con- 
ference to  commence  the  next  day.  He  had  not  seen  me  since 
that  time,  but  he  had  not  forgotten  me  nor  my  firm  adherence 
to  temperance  principles  even  among  strangers.  He  was 
present  Sunday  morning,  and  gave  twenty-five  dollars  in  the 
collection.  I  do  not  think  there  is  much  egotism  in  repeating 
this  to  my  daughter.  It  pleased  me  to  hear  that  my  conduct 
had  made  a  good  impression.  This  incident  shows  how  care- 
ful we  ought  to  be  at  all  times  and  in  all  places  of  our  words 
and  actions. 

Your  beautiful  white  daisy,  plucked  from  Tillie's  grave,  came 
in  its  perfection.  A  beautiful  emblem  of  a  most  beautiful  object. 
Dear  Tillie,  how  much  I  think  of  her !  She  loses  none  of  her 
loveliness  to  me.  My  recollection  of  her  is  just  as  vivid  and 
fragrant  as  the  day  after  we  placed  her  in  her  Greenwood  home. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1865,  Bishop  Janes, 
Bishop  Lee,  of  Delaware,  and  others,  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  Christian  Commission,  and  author- 
ized by  the  General  Government,  to  visit  the  Federal 
prisoners  at  Richmond,  Va.  I  give  a  letter  of  the 
2 1st,  written  at  Aiken's  Landing.  Varina,  Va.,  on 
board  the  steamer  "  Massachusetts,"  showing  his 


VISITS  THE  UNION  ARMY.  279 

movements.  My  impression  is,  the  visitors  were 
refused  admission  through  the  Confederate  lines. 
The  report  they  must  have  carried  back  of  Libby 
Prison  would  not  have  sweetened  the  temper  of  the 
Northern  mind. 

We  are  waiting  still  for  a  reply  from  Richmond  to  our  appli- 
cation for  admission  to  the  rebel  lines,  for  the  purpose  of  see- 
ing and  administering  to  our  Federal  prisoners.  Colonel 
Mullord,  the  flag-of-truce  officer,  has  gone  over  the  lines  to 
receive  their  reply. 

Our  sail  up  the  James  River  was  very  pleasant.  Occasion- 
ally on  its  banks  stands  one  of  the  old  mansions  of  which 
there  were  so  many  in  former  times  in  this  rich  portion  of  the 
State.  At  City  Point,  in  going  in  an  ambulance  to  visit  one  of 
the  hospitals,  an  incident  occurred,  which,  at  the  time,  was 
alarming,  but  proved  harmless.  As  we  were  descending  a 
very  steep  hill  the  reach  of  the  ambulance  broke  and  the  vehicle 
upset.  I  was  on  the  front  seat,  and  thrown  down  upon  the 
pole  between  the  horses'  heels,  and  in  that  way  carried  some 
distance.  How  I  kept  my  balance  on  the  pole  I  cannot  even 
now  understand.  I  think  an  angel  must  have  held  me  up.  I 
did  not  dare  to  touch  the  horses  for  fear  of  making  them  kick. 
There  was  nothing  else  I  could  seize.  After  a  little  the  reins 
came  within  my  reach.  I  seized  one  with  my  left  hand  and 
turned  the  horses  up  against  a  sand  bank  and  stopped  them. 
One  of  the  gentlemen  ran  and  helped  me  to  escape  from  my 
dangerous  position.  I  was  a  little  strained  and  bruised.  Not 
enough  hurt  to  make  a  child  cry.  It  was  a  marked  interposi- 
tion of  Providence.  I  have  felt  safe  ever  since.  "  He  keepeth 
all  my  bones — not  one  of  them  is  broken."  I  immediately  re- 
turned and  preached. 

Our  interview  with  General  Grant  was  a  pleasant  one.  We 
spent  two  hours  and  a  half  with  him.  He  was  very  social. 
Mrs.  Grant  was  present,  and  their  youngest  son.  She  is  a  lady 
of  good  sense,  simple  manners,  and  of  good  conversational 


280  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

powers;  talks  about  country  life  with  a  zest.  The  General 
gave  prompt  attention  to  our  business.  Wrote  a  letter  to 
General  Lee  introducing  us.  He  wrote  the  letter  while  con- 
versation was  going  on  around  him.  It  was  a  well-written 
document,  every  word  expressive.  He  immediately  put  a 
steamer  at  our  disposal.  On  reaching  this  place,  Colonel 
Mulford,  in  obedience  to  the  order  of  General  Grant,  forwarded 
our  papers  to  Richmond.  He  then  provided  us  a  carriage  and 
four  horses,  and  a  conduct  of  two  officers  and  their  orderlies 
for  the  day  to  visit  the  camps.  We  visited  the  several  stations 
of  the  Christian  Commission.  The  day  was  one  of  much  in- 
terest. It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  seen  hostile  armies 
confronting  one  another  ;  an  impressive  sight ;  I  hope  the  world 
will  see  but  few  more  of  them. 

In  March,  1865,  Bishop  Janes  held  the  West 
Virginia  and  Newark  Conferences,  and  in  April  he 
sailed  for  Europe,  having  been  assigned  to  visit  the 
Germany  and  Switzerland  Mission  Conference,  and 
to  act  as  fraternal  delegate  to  the  British  and  Irish 
Wesleyan  Conferences,  and  also  having  been  chos- 
en by  the  American  Bible  Society  to  represent  it 
at  the  approaching  anniversary  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society. 

A  letter  from  London,  May  4,  to  his  daughter, 
Miss  Lizzie,  gives  a  pleasant  account  of  his  recep- 
tion in  that  great  metropolis : 

»  At  four  o'clock  Monday  morning  took  the  cars  for  London. 
Arrived  at  my  hotel  at  ten  o'clock.  Went  to  the  missionary 
meeting  at  Exeter  Hall  at  eleven.  An  immense  gathering  of 
people  and  a  very  enthusiastic  meeting.  I  made  a  short  ad- 
dress. Yesterday  was  held  the  anniversary  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society.  As  the  delegate  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  they  honored  me  much.  I  was  seated  between  Lord 


IN  LONDON.  281 

John  Russell  on  my  right  and  the  Right  Reverend  Lord  Bishop 
of  Rupert's  Land  on  my  left.  There  was  quite  a  collection  of 
nobility.  Lord  Shaftesbury  presided.  Lord  Radcliff  spoke. 
Two  Right  Reverend  Lord  Bishops  spoke.  I  made  an  address 
which  I  hope  will  be  satisfactory  to  the  American  Bible  Society. 
Bishop  Thomson  reached  London  on  his  return  from  India  on 
the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  I  arrived  here.  He  sails  on 
Saturday  for  New  York.  I  am  attending  various  meetings, 
and  shall  probably  remain  until  next  Monday  morning,  when  I 
shall  leave  at  an  early  hour  for  Paris  and  the  Continent.  I 
have  been  very  warmly  received  by  the  Wesleyan  ministers 
and  friends,  and  also  by  the  officers  and  friends  of  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  The  officers  and  managers  are 
mostly  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  a  little  formal  and  dig- 
nified in  manner,  but  are  really  cordial,  and  show  a  very  hearty 
interest  in  religious  affairs  in  our  country.  I  was  last  evening 
at  a  select  dinner  party  where  they  were  all  Bishops  and  min- 
isters and  members  of  the  national  Church ;  they  were  very 
kindly  inquisitive  about  our  national  and  religious  interests  in 
America.  The  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  seems  to 
affect  the  people  of  England,  and,  indeed,  of  all  Europe,  almost 
as  deeply  as  it  did  the  people  in  the  United  States. 

I  have  my  London  home  with  the  same  family  that  I  stayed 
with  when  here  before,  Mr.  Lycett.  I  am  to-night  to  dine  with 
Mr.  M'Arthur.  I  breakfasted  this  morning  with  Dr.  Jobson. 
I  have  an  abundance  of  invitations,  but  I  intend  to  accept  only 
a  few,  and  those  hereafter  Methodists.  It  is  very  exhausting 
to  be  frequently  a  guest  on  public  occasions. 


282  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

1865-1868. 

Delegate  to  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  to  the 
English  and  Irish  Wesleyan  Conferences — The  German  and  Scan- 
dinavian Work  in  Europe — Centenary  of  American  Methodism — 
Death  of  Friends. 

IT  has  been  seen  that  the  Bishop,  on  arriving  in 
London,  found  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Mis- 
sionary Society  holding  its  anniversary  at  Exeter 
Hall,  May  I,  where  he  was  enthusiastically  re- 
ceived and  constrained  to  address  the  audience.  Sir 
Francis  Lycett,  chairman  of  the  meeting,  thus  in- 
troduced him : 

We  are  very  glad  to  welcome  Bishop  Janes,  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  of  the  United  States.  We  shall  be 
happy  to  hear  him  address  us  this  morning,  and  I  have  much 
pleasure  in  calling  upon  him  to  do  so. 

I  give  only  so  much  of  the  Bishop's  speech  as 
refers  to  his  reception  and  to  the  assassination  of 
President  Lincoln,  which  had  occurred -^ust  before 
he  left  New  York  : 

MR.  CHAIRMAN,  LADIES,  AND  GENTLEMEN  :  Words  to  he 
fittingly  spoken  must  be  spoken  at  the  right  time.  I  am  per- 
suaded that  the  arrangements  for  this  meeting  have  been  so 
well  made  that  you  can  afford  to  appropriate  but  a  very  little 
time  to  a  stranger,  and  he  an  individual  who  is  accidentally 


ADDRESS  AT  EXETER  HALL.  283 

with  you.  The  principal  consideration  which  leads  me  to 
occupy  any  part  of  your  time  is,  a  desire  which  I  have  to  avail 
myself  of  the  very  first  opportunity  to  acknowledge  the  man- 
ner in  which  I  have  been  affected  by  the  expression  of  sympa- 
thy which  I  have  found  in  this  land  for  my  own  beloved 
country  in  this  the  day  of  her  tribulation.  When  I  left  Ameri- 
ca I  left  a  nation  in  mourning.  Our  marts  of  commerce  and 
our  temples  of  worship  were  literally  clothed  in  sackcloth. 
And  I  believe  that  never  has  a  nation  been  more  sorely  grieved 
than  is  the  United  States  of  America  at  this  present  time. 
Our  late  chief  magistrate  was  a  beloved  President — we  had 
found  him  to  be  an  honest  man.  We  had  found  him  to  be  a 
true  patriot.  He  had  proved  himself  to  be  an  earnest  philan- 
thropist, and  we  knew  him  to  be  a  competent  statesman  and 
a  faithful  ruler.  At  the  time  of  his  death  bright  hopes  were 
centering  in  him,  and  we  anticipated  speedily  the  great  pleas- 
ure of  rejoicing  with  him  in  the  restoration  of  order,  authority, 
and  peace  in  our  land.  I  will  not  speak  more  at  length  in 
reference  to  his  character  and  his  office,  and  the  loss  which 
the  nation  has  sustained.  But  I  desire  to  return  to  my  first 
remark— the  manner  in  which  I  have  been  impressed  by  the 
expressions  of  sympathy  and  interest  on  this  side  of  the  water. 
When  on  Saturday  last  the  ship  "China"  reached  Queens- 
town  there  was  an  intense  solicitude  on  the  part  of  the  Amer- 
ican passengers  to  see  the  English  newspapers;  and  when 
we  saw  them  and  read  them,  and  understood  the  feeling  which 
pervaded  the  public  in  this  country  with  reference  to  our  coun- 
try in  this  hour  of  her  sorrow,  there  were  few  American  eyes 
in  that  ship  that  were  not  filled  with  tears.  The  impression 
upon  all  our  hearts  and  minds  was  deep  and  most  grateful. 
And  I  have  no  doubt  when  these  communications  reach  our 
nation,  and  are  there  seen  by  the  people  at  large,  and  by 
our  authorities,  that  there  will  be  made  upon  our  community 
and  upon  our  Government,  an  impression  which,  perhaps,  no 
other  event  than  the  sympathy  manifested  here  could  have 
made  with  reference  to  your  people.  This  permissive  provi- 
dence of  God  is  to  us  a  strange  one.  We  still  believe,  how- 


284  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ever,  that  "  the  wrath  of  man  shall  praise  Him,  and  the  remain- 
der of  wrath  will  He  restrain." 

I  have  no  report  at  hand  of  his  address  before 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  whose  anni- 
versary occurred  about  the  same  time.  But  the 
following  reference  in  the  minute  adopted  by  the 
managers  of  the  American  Bible  Society  immedi- 
ately after  his  death  will  show  the  estimate  which 
the  Board  put  upon  his  services  on  that  occasion : 

Perhaps  he  was  never  more  happy  in  public  address  than 
when  he  appeared  as  our  representative  before  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  in  1865.  It  was  the  last  year  of  our  first 
half  century,  and  his  condensed  and  lucid  statements  concern- 
ing the  work  we  had  done  produced  a  profound  impression. 
In  this  address  he  spoke  of  the  Bible  as  "  the  book  that  is 
older  than  our  fathers,  that  is  truer  than  tradition,  that  is  more 
learned  than  universities,  that  is  more  authoritative  than  coun- 
cils, that  is  more  infallible  than  popes,  that  is  more  orthodox 
than  creeds,  that  is  more  powerful  than  ceremonies  —  the 
omnipotent  word  of  God — the  wonder  of  the  world — the  boon 
of  Heaven." 

After  spending  a  week  in  London  the  Bishop 
crossed  to  the  Continent,  passing  rapidly  to  Paris 
and  through  France,  visiting  Basle,  Lausanne,  Ge- 
neva, and  Zurich,  Switzerland  ;  and  thence  he  went 
north  through  Germany  to  Bremen,  where  he  met 
the  Germany  and  Switzerland  Conference,  June  8. 
He  inspected  all  the  prominent  missions,  preaching 
almost  incessantly  as  he  traveled. 

His  description  of  the  journey  from  the  time  he 
entered  France  until  he  reached  Basle  is  to  the  life: 


Ix  FRANCE  AND  SWITZERLAND.        285 

After  spending  a  week  in  London,  gaining  some  knowledge 
of  mankind  in  general,  and  of  Englishmen  in  particular,  I  left 
Tuesday  morning  for  this  place.  The  country  from  London 
to  Folkstone,  whence  I  sailed  for  Boulogne,  is  very  fine : 
Some  of  the  best-cultivated  lands  in  England.  No  railroad 
view  in  America  is  so  like  it  as  the  one  between  Philadelphia 
and  Harrisburgh.  In  accordance  with  my  prayer  the  Channel 
was  smooth.  At  Boulogne  we  dined,  then  started  for  Paris. 
Our  journey  was  a  very  rapid  one — fifty  -miles  an  hour.  We 
went  through  the  tunnels  of  the  hills  as  a  modern  cannon-ball 
crashes  through  a  wooden  ship.  We  had  in  my  apartment  a 
wine-bibbing  English  woman,  whose  tongue  was  entirely  loose 
at  one  end,  and  very  limber  in  the  middle;  it  ran  about  as  con- 
stant as  the  wheels  of  the  car  and  almost  as  fast,  and  there 
was  about  as  much  sentiment  in  her  rattling  words  as  in  the 
clatter  of  the  cars.  She  teased  her  husband  greatly  and  an- 
noyed us  all. 

N  An  English  gentleman  sat  opposite  to  me,  who,  when  the 
train  started,  did  as  I  have  been  wont  to  do,  closed  his  eyes 
and  remained  for  two  or  three  minutes  in  silent  prayer.  You 
cannot  think  how  much  safer  I  felt  when  I  saw  that.  When 
I  reached  Paris  I  found  myself  solitary  amid  a  babbling 
crowd.  I  stood  and  looked  and  listened  awhile  hoping  some 
one  would  say  a  word  of  English.  A  gentleman  in  London 
had  requested  me  to  take  a  letter  with  some  money  to  a  friend 
in  Paris.  A  thought  struck  me.  I  took  out  the  letter  and 
showed  the  address  to  a  cabman.  He  understood,  and  drove 
me  to  the  place.  The  gentleman  went  with  me  to  the  Grand 
Hotel.  At  six  next  morning  I  left  for  Basle,  which  I  reached 
at  eight  P.  M.  When  I  got  out  of  the  cars  I  went  about  ask- 
ing, "  Speak  English  ?  "  No  one  did.  I  went  to  a  hotel,  where 
the  landlord  understood  me,  and  sent  a  servant  with  me  to  find 
Rev.  William  Schwartz.  When  I  reached  his  residence  I  was 
relieved  of  my  embarrassment. 

A  letter  from  Lausanne,  Switzerland,  to  Mrs. 
Janes,  May  16,  will  be  appreciated  for  its  references 


'286  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

to  Dr.  Merle  D'Aubigne,  and  to  Nyon,  the  birth- 
place of  Rev.  John  Fletcher: 

God's  mercy  still  enables  me  to  report  my  health  as  good  as 
ordinary.  Last  Sunday  I  preached  in  our  Mission  Chapel, 
Basle,  to  a  congregation  understanding  the  English  language. 
About  seventy-five  persons  were  present :  several  of  them  stu- 
dents from  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Mission  Institute — two  of 
them  Hindus.  The  principal  officer  of  the  Institute  was  also 
present,  some  English  travelers,  some  American  residents,  and 
some  learned  Swiss.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  upon  me.  In 
the  afternoon  addressed  the  Sunday-school,  the  pastor  inter- 
preting. In  the  evening  addressed  the  German  congregation, 
the  pastor  interpreting.  Yesterday  came  to  this  place.  To-day 
I  have  been  to  Geneva.  I  first  went  to  the  spot  where  Ser- 
vetus  was  burned.  I  next  went  to  the  cathedral  where  Calvin 
preached.  Sat  in  the  old  wooden  chair  in  which  he  used  to 
sit  to  lecture.  From  there  I  went  to  see  Rev.  Dr.  Merle 
d'AubignS.  I  wished  to  see  him  very  much.  His  residence 
is  an  old  Swiss  house  in  the  suburb  of  the  city.  In  asking  for 
the  doctor  a  young  lady  appeared  and  said,  "  My  husband  is 
in  his  study,  and  dislikes  to  be  disturbed."  I  replied,  "Very 
well,  madam,  do  not  interrupt  him.  I  am  from  New  York.  I 
know  the  doctor  well  by  his  writings,  and  should  have  been 
pleased  to  shake  his  hand."  The  lady  said  she  would  speak 
with  him,  and  returned,  saying,  "  My  husband  will  be  down  in 
a  moment."  Soon  the  venerable  doctor  appeared,  greeted  me 
heartily,  and  commenced  talking  about  our  national  affairs. 
After  an  interesting  conversation  I  took  my  leave.  He  is  a 
tall,  well-proportioned  man,  in  his  seventy-first  year.  Conver- 
sational powers  very  fine.  His  young  wife  is  an  Irish  lady — 
smart,  talkative,  self-complacent,  husband-admiring  lady.  Why 
he,  an  old  French  patriarch,  selected  her  for  a  bride  is  none  of 
my  business.  I  judge  it  is  a  happy  match  so  long  as  it  lasts. 

A  few  miles  from  Geneva  I  saw  the  chateau  of  Madame 
De  Sta6l,  also  her  tomb.  It  is  a  beautiful  spot  overlooking  the 
lake,  and  having  a  grand  view  of  the  Alps.  I  stopped  at  Nyon, 


A  LETTER  OF  CONDOLENCE.  287 

where  Rev.  John  Fletcher  was  born.  The  widow  of  his  nephew 
still  lives  here.  We  had  an  interesting  interview.  When  I  left 
her  I  went  to  the  house  where  he  was  horn,  and  to  the  church 
where  he  was  baptized  and  where  he  preached.  Went  into 
the  pulpit  and  saw  the  old  psalm  book  and  Bible  he  used, 
1731.  It  is  an  old,  ill-shaped  edifice,  but  it  seemed  sacred  to 
me.  In  the  house  was  a  beautiful  picture  representing  him 
standing  with  his  hand  on  a  human  skull,  and  uttering  the 
words,  "Thanks  be  to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  We  have  a  mission  here  to  the  Ger- 
mans. Held  a  meeting  last  night  and  also  to-night. 

The  Bishop  went  north  to  see  the  Scandinavian 
work,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  constant  travel  and 
occupation  finds  time  to  remember  bereaved  friends 
in  the  home-land.  No  man  was  ever  more  thought- 
ful of  those  he  loved,  in  the  times  of  their  sorrow. 
He  writes  from  Copenhagen,  May  30,  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  C.  C.  North,  of  New  York,  on  hearing  of  the 
death  of  their  eldest  daughter,  Mary,  known  after- 
ward as  "  Early  Crowned." 

I  have  just  seen  the  "Advocate"  of  the  i8th  inst.,  and  learned 
that  your  dear  Mary  has  gone  to  see  her  heavenly  Father,  and 
her  elder  Brother,  and  her  many  celestial  kindred  and  friends. 
O,  how  painfully  you  miss  her  presence  and  social  influence  in 
the  family !  You  do  not  complain  or  murmur — No.  God  does 
all  things  well.  You  do  not  repine  or  grieve — No.  You  have 
consolation  and  calm  submission.  You  have  no  painful  appre- 
hensions for  or  sympathy  with  your  absent  child — No.  She  is 
safe  and  happy,  perfectly  so,  eternally  so.  Yet  you  suffer. 
You  can  hardly  analyze  your  feelings.  You  cannot  express 
them.  You  feel  as  if  you  were  not  entirely  yourselves.  It 
seems  as  if  a  part  of  your  own  being  was  gone.  Something  is 
missing.  There  is  a  want — an  absence.  You  look  for  it,  but 


288  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

the  dear  face  does  not  show  itself.  You  listen  for  it,  but  the 
affectionate  voice  is  not  heard.  O,  for  that  missing  presence ! 
How  the  heart  yearns  for  it !  That  vacancy  in  the  heart — what 
can  relieve  it  ?  Nothing  in  this  world.  The  divine  Comforter 
can  enable  us  to  support  this  piercing  sense  of  loss,  to  endure 
submissively  this  keen  feeling  of  absence.  Reunion  alone  can 
restore  entireness  to  our  bereaved  hearts.  The  meeting  in 
heaven  will  make  all  right. 

From  Bremen,  Germany,  to  Miss  Janes,  June  6: 

In  the  afternoon  I  walked  out  to  the  cemetery  to  visit  the 
grave  of  a  missionary  who  died  here  about  two  years  ago.  My 
attention  was  arrested  at  the  entrance  to  the  cemetery  by  a 
remarkable  beech  tree ;  it  was  very  large  and  very  old,  and  the 
lower  limbs  were  supported  by  a  frame.  The  traditional  his- 
tory of  it  is  this :  At  a  time  long  ago  when  theft  was  punished 
with  death,  where  this  tree  stands  was  the  place  of  public  exe- 
cution. A  young  girl  was  beheaded  there  for  that  alleged 
crime.  She  protested  her  innocence,  and  at  the  hour  of  exe- 
cution took  a  beech  branch,  and  planting  it,  small  end  down- 
ward, said,  "That  will  live  and  grow  to  be  a  witness  of  my 
innocence."  She  died  repeating,  "I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
liveth."  Many  years  afterward  a  man  when  dying  confessed 
that  upon  the  girl's  refusal  to  marry  him  he  determined  to  be 
revenged,  and,  secreting  some  silver  in  her  trunk,  had  her  ar- 
rested and  beheaded.  He  died  saying,  "  O.  eternity  is  so  long !  " 
On  one  side  the  entrance  to  the  cemetery  is  a  stone  with  these 
words  engraved,  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth.  '  On  the 
other  side  a  similar  stone,  bearing  these  words,  "  O !  eternity  is 
so  long ! " 

While  in  Germany,  and  making  a  brief  visit  to 
Berlin,  the  Bishop  accepted  an  invitation  to  preach 
a  discourse  on  the  death  of  President  Lincoln.  It 
was  listened  to  by  all  the  English-speaking  people 


VISIT  TO  IRELAND.  289 

of  the  city,  and  was  afterward  printed  and  widely 
read  throughout  Germany. 

He  returned  through  France,  visiting  the  French 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Conference,  then  in  session  in 
Paris,  and,  soon  after  reaching  London,  left  for  the 
session  of  the  Irish  Conference  at  Cork.  While  in 
Ireland  he  was  for  awhile  the  guest  of  the  Rev.  Rob- 
inson Scott,  D.D.,  so  well  and  favorably  known  in 
America,  and  from  his  hospitable  home,  at  Black 
Rock,  near  Dublin,  wrote  to  Miss  Janes,  July  8  : 

I  am  now  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  Dr.  Scott.  He  has  a 
lovely  cottage  home  called  Rose  Hough.  They  have  a  great 
variety  of  flowers,  especially  of  roses.  A  charming  spot.  Mrs. 
Scott  is  an  exceedingly  pleasant  lady.  She  has  made  my  stay 
of  a  week  very  delightful.  I  have  been  writing  most  of  the 
week  ;  leave  to-day  for  the  north  of  Ireland  ;  preach  to-mor- 
row in  Belfast.  I  have  visited  the  lakes  of  Killarney  ;  there  is 
much  of  beauty  in  these  lakes  ;  they  are  nearly  surrounded  by 
craggy  mountains  resembling  the  highlands  of  our  Hudson. 
If  I  had  not  seen  American  mountain  scenery,  I  have  no  doubt 
I  should  have  joined  with  the  natives  in  calling  it  grand  and 
sublime  ;  but  you  know  I  have  seen  the  long  ranges  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  the  grand  conical  mountains  among 
them  ;  also  the  majestic,  beautiful,  imposing,  enchanting  scenery 
of  the  Columbia  River,  in  Oregon. 

To  Miss  Janes,  from  Belfast,  Ireland,  July  13  : 

Since  I  wrote  you  last  I  have  been  journeying  with  Dr.  Scott. 
I  came  on  Saturday  to  this  place,  preached  on  Sunday,  had  a 
large  audience,  heard  Dr.  Scott  preach  an  excellent  sermon  in 
the  evening.  This  city  is  well  built — some  beautiful  residences. 
I  am  enjoying  the  hospitalities  of  Alderman  William  Mullan,  a 
princely  man,  who  has  a  princess  of  a  wife.  On  Monday  I 


290  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

went  to  Portadown,  to  visit  an  old  Methodist  family,  and 
preached  at  night.  On  Tuesday  I  went  to  Omagh  and  visited 
the  father  and  friends  of  Mr.  John  Elliott,  of  New  York.  His 
father  is  a  very  venerable  old  gentleman,  venerable  for  wisdom 
and  goodness.  Dr.  M'Clintock's  grandfather  was  buried  a  few 
miles  from  Omagh  ;  his  father  was  born  there.  Bishop  Simp- 
son's father  was  from  the  same  neighborhood.  The  next 
morning  Invent  to  Londonderry,  and  from  there  to  Port  Rush, 
where  I  visited  the  Giant's  Causeway.  It  is  a  wonder,  though 
not  a  very  sublime  one.  I  spent  the  night  at  Coleraine  ;  en- 
joyed the  warm  and  elegant  hospitality  of  an  old  Methodist 
family,  who  used  to  entertain  Dr.  Clarke  and  Gideon  Ouseley. 
At  Port  Rush  is  a  monument  to  Dr.  Adam  Clarke.  I  sail  for 
Scotland  this  evening. 

As  the  previous  letter  indicates,  the  Bishop,  on 
leaving  Belfast,  made  a  brief  tour  through  Scotland 
and  thence  down  to  Birmingham,  England,  where 
he  visited  the  British  Conference,  which  was  (July 
27)  in  session  in  that  city,  and  was  most  cordially 
received  in  his  capacity  as  fraternal  delegate  from 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  On  the  evening 
of  the  second  day  of  Conference  an  "  open  session  " 
was  held,  at  which  he  presented  the  Address  of  the 
General  Conference  of  1864,  accompanying  it  with  a 
personal  address.  On  the  first  Sunday  of  the  Con- 
ference he  was  invited  to  preach  the  annual  sermon 
in  the  place  of  the  ex-president.  Nothing  could 
have  been  more  agreeable  to  him  than  to  find  the 
Rev.  William  Arthur,  D.D.,  so  highly  appreciated  by 
American  Methodists,  president  of  the  Conference. 

An  extract  from  a  letter  received  on  his  arrival  at 


METHODISM  IN  BERLIN.  291 

home  from  Bishop  Ames,  dated  August  30,  shows 
the  estimate  in  which  his  services  abroad  were  held 
by  his  colleagues : 

I  congratulate  you,  and  the  Church  also,  on  the  very  satis- 
factory manner  in  which  you  have  been  enabled  to  execute  your 
important  mission.  We  on  this  side  of  the  water  are  proud 
of  you,  and  I  doubt  not  that  those  on  that  side  are  well  pleased. 

The  Hon.  Joseph  A.  Wright,  of  Indiana,  was  re- 
appointed  Minister  Plenipotentiary  for  the  United 
States  to  the  court  of  Prussia  by  President  Johnson 
in  1865.  Meanwhile  he  had  married  Mrs.  Caroline 
R.  Deuel,  of  New  York.  The  residence  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wright  at  Berlin  became  the  occasion  of  the 
fulfillment  of  a  cherished  wish  of  the  Bishop  in  con- 
nection with  Methodism  in  that  great  capital.  A 
letter  to  Mrs.  Wright,  dated  November  20,  at  New 
York,  explains  the  object : 

When  I  visited  Berlin,  in  1861,  I  was  much  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  our  Society  having  a  comfortable  and  re- 
spectable place  of  worship  in  that  city.  On  my  return  I 
represented  the  case  to  the  Board.  It  was  thought  the  condi- 
tion of  our  country  and  the  uncertainty  of  the  future  would  not 
justify  the  Board  in  undertaking  to  build  then.  While  at  the 
Conference,  on  my  late  visit,  I  conferred  with  the  brethren,  and 
came  home  with  the  fixed  purpose  to  obtain  from  the  General 
Mission  Committee  and  Board  an  appropriation  for  that  object 
if  I  had  influence  enough  to  effect  it.  Your  letters,  and  those 
of  the  Governor,  have  aided  me  in  securing  it.  You  have 
learned  from  others  that  an  appropriation  of  $i  5,000  has  been 
made  to  aid  in  building  a  Methodist  house  of  worship  in  Ber- 
lin. I  am  glad  you  and  the  governor  are  there  to  assist  in 


292  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

the  enterprise.  I  know  you  will  gladly  do  all  in  your  power 
to  promote  the  object.  I  think  it  will  be  important  that  the 
subscription  in  Berlin  should  be  taken  before  the  building  is 
commenced. 


In  the  autumn  of  1865  the  Genesee,  Illinois,  and 
Iowa  Conferences  were  presided  over  by  Bishop 
Janes.  In  the  year  1866  he  presided  over  the  Troy, 
Eastern  German,.  East  Maine,  East  Genesee,  Gene- 
see,  Central  German,  and  South-east  Indiana  Con- 
ferences. 

The  year  1866  was  distinguished  as  the  centenary 
year  of  American  Methodism.  A  General  Commit- 
tee had  been  authorized  by  the  General  Conference 
of  1864  to  devise  a  plan  for  its  due  observance,  and 
the  committee  appointed  by  the  Bishops  under  this 
authorization  met  in  the  city  of  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
February  22,  1865.  All  the  Bishops  were  present 
at  the  meeting  except  Bishop  Thomson,  who  was 
absent  in  India.  Every  section  of  the  Church  was 
ably  represented  by  both  ministers  and  laymen. 
The  committee  defined  the  objects  to  which  the 
commemorative  offerings  should  be  devoted,  and 
created  a  central  committee  at  New  York,  and  or- 
dered local  committees  in  all  the  Annual  Confer- 
ences for  carrying  out  the  arrangement.  No  one 
was  more  active  in  the  counsels  of  the  committee, 
nor  more  incessantly  and  effectively  engaged  in  the 
practical  work  of  creating  the  funds  contemplated, 
than  Bishop  Janes.  He  was  here,  there,  and  every- 


CENTENARY  OF  AMERICAN  METHODISM.  293 

where  —  guiding  by  his  wisdom,  cheering  by  his 
sympathy  and  example,  and  animating  by  his 
burning  words,  the  great  movement  which  was  to 
constitute  a  fitting  memorial  of  the  first  century  of 
Methodism  in  the  New  World,  and  also  form  a  solid 
material  basis  for  its  progress  in  the  centuries  to 
follow.  The  Methodists,  in  common  with  all  the 
people,  had  just  emerged  from  an  exhausting  war, 
but  they  rose  to  the  grandeur  of  the  occasion,  and 
exhibited  one  of  the  sublimest  instances  of  volun- 
tary giving  in  the  annals  of  religion  or  philanthropy. 
At  the  ensuing  General  Conference,  1868,  the 
magnificent  total  for  all  objects  was  reported  as 
$8,709,498  39.  And  this  sum  was  distinct  from  the 
contributions  made  to  all  the  regular  claims  of  the 
Church.  No  one  thing  more  thoroughly  impressed 
the  general  public  with  the  power  and  aggregate 
wealth  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  than  its 
Centenary  Offering. 

Persons  who  were  present  at  the  two  meetings 
held  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  New  York,  the  one  on 
January  25  to  inaugurate  the  movement,  presided 
over  by  Secretary  Harlan,  and  the  other  on  April  9 
to  represent  the  Ladies'  Centenary  Society  in  its 
distinctive  aim  to  aid  in  the  erection  of  a  suitable 
building  for  the  use  of  the  General  Missionary  So- 
ciety of  the  Church,  presided  over  by  Chief  Justice 
Chase,  will  remember  the  effectiveness  with  which 

Bishop  Janes  spoke.      On  the  former  occasion  it 
13* 


294  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

was  assigned  to  him  to  explain  and  advocate  the 
Irish  Evangelization  Fund  ;  and  how  well  he  did  it 
let  Dr.  Robinson  Scott,  the  vigilant  guardian  of 
the  fund,  answer: 

I  write  now  not  to  trouble  you  with  a  reply.  My  first  object 
is  to  thank  you,  from  my  inmost  heart,  for  your  noble  and  gen- 
erous speech  in  St.  Paul's  Church  on  behalf  of  Ireland — not 
the  less  generous  because  it  was  just.  I  had  read  a  brief  sum- 
mary of  it  in  the  "  Advocate,"  but  to-day  it  has  come  to  hand 
in  extenso.  It  says  all  that  the  warmest  friend  of  our  good 
cause  could  have  wished  on  the  occasion.  That  it  was  deliv- 
ered, not  by  an  Irishman  or  by  one  connected  with  Ireland  by 
descent,  but  by  an  American,  and  based  upon  principles  that 
rise  above  all  mere  political  nationalities  and  that  are  com- 
mon for  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  will  make  it  all  the  more 
effective  with  the  membership  of  your  Church  generally. 

But  it  was  at  the  second  meeting  that  the  Bishop 
rose  to  the  full  height  of  his  eloquence.  It  was  a 
great  meeting.  Chief  Justice  Chase — the  foremost 
jurist  and  statesman  of  the  country,  then  in  the 
acme  of  his  fame — on  taking  the  chair  made  an  ad- 
dress highly  appreciative  of  Methodism.  When  he 
introduced  Bishop  Janes  I  confess  I  remember  feel- 
ing no  little  solicitude  for  him.  He  was  before  an 
audience  long  familiar  with  him,  and  it  seemed  quite 
impossible  for  him  to  awaken  any  very  marked  in- 
terest in  them  on  a  subject  the  general  aspect  of 
which  had  also  become  familiar.  My  fears  and 
the  fears  of  all,  however,  soon  gave  way — first  to 
quiet,  then  to  satisfaction — astonishment — ecstasy. 
Such  philosophy,  fancy,  invective,  religious  hope- 


CENTENARY  MISSIONARY  ADDRESS.       295 

fulness,  and  triumph,  all  on  fire,  leaping  and  burst- 
ing over  an  audience,  I  have  seldom  heard.  The 
vast  and  cultured  mass  of  people  and  ministers 
were  tumultuous  with  excitement.  For  popular 
effect  it  was  I  believe,  the  crowning  effort  of  the 
Bishop's  life. 

The  Rev.  John  Atkinson,  D.D.,  now  of  the  De- 
troit Conference,  thus  writes  his  recollections  of  the 
occasion  in  a  late  number  of  the  "  North-western 
Christian  Advocate : " 

I  saw  Bishop  Janes  on  one  of  the  great  occasions  of  his  life. 
It  was  at  the  Centenary  Meeting  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  New 
York,  in  1866.  Chief  Justice  Chase  presided,  and  made  the 
opening  address.  It  was  able,  and  well  worthy  of  the  man 
and  the  theme.  Bishop  Simpson  also  spoke.  Then  came 
Bishop  Janes,  the  last  of  the  three.  The  intellect,  culture, 
piety,  and  power  of  Methodism  were  represented  in  that  vast 
metropolitan  audience,  whose  thousands  of  eyes,  kindled  to 
brilliance  by  the  eloquence  that  had  poured  from  the  lips  of 
the  great  statesman  and  jurist,  and  the  great  pulpit  orator, 
were  now  turned  full  upon  the  resident  Bishop.  Before  those 
people  he  had  walked  for  many  years,  yet  no  orator  from 
abroad  must  send  him  to  the  rear.  He  must  be  there  and  at 
the  front.  So  the  people  willed,  and  on  the  sympathies  of 
that  representative  throng  he  rose  to  a  height  of  thrilling, 
masterful  eloquence,  which  none  of  that  assembly  can  have 
forgotten. 

The  abstract  of  this  speech,  given  in  the  New 
York  "  Methodist "  of  April  14,  will  convey  a 
proper  notion  of  its  substance,  but  not  of  the  by- 
play and  passion  with  which  it .  was  delivered. 
After  speaking  of  the  necessity  of  a  building 


296  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

adapted  to  all  the  wants  of  the  Missionary  Society, 
among  other  things  a  fire-proof  room  for  preserving 
its  records,  he  proceeds : 

"  But  in  my  judgment  there  is  a  higher  interest  than  this. 
The  records  of  the  Missionary  Society  are  important,  not  only 
to  the  Society  and  to  the  Church,  but  if  I  have  a  correct  ap- 
prehension of  the  subject,  they  are  important  to  the  public.  The 
history  of  this  world  is  to  be  a  religious  history.  It  has  been 
measurably  so  in  the  past ;  not  sufficiently,  however,  have 
God  and  religion  been  acknowledged  in  history.  But  who 
can  write  the  history  of  this  country  and  not  acknowledge  the 
influence  which  Christianity  had  in  its  discovery?  the  influence 
which  Christianity  had  in  bringing  the  Puritan  and  the  Hugue- 
not to  settle  it  ?  the  influence  which  Christianity  has  had  in 
molding  and  sustaining  our  institutions?  the  influence  which 
Christianity  has  had  upon  our  country  the  last  five  years,  in- 
spiring its  patriotism  and  sustaining  and  nerving  its  patriots 
for  the  responsibilities  and  duties  that  have  devolved  upon 
them  ?  Why,  sir,  no  infidel  can  write  the  military  history  of 
the  last  five  years  and  not  make  Christianity  prominent  in  that 
record.  He  might  as  well  leave  off  its  pages  the  names  of  our 
generals,  as  to  leave  off  the  names  of  our  chaplains  ;  he  might 
as  well  leave  off  the  names  of  those  who  are  subordinate  in 
office,  as  to  leave  off  the  names  of  those  who  have  gone  out 
as  the  agents  of  the  Christian  Commission.  The  action  of  the 
Church,  the  influence  of  religion  in  our  army,  have  been  so 
manifest  and  so  happy  that,  I  repeat  it,  no  infidel  can  write 
the  naked  history  of  the  war  and  not  make  Christianity  promi- 
nent in  his  record. 

"  And  let  me  enlarge  a  little  upon  this  thought.  Where,  sir, 
are  the  records  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  for  the  last  fifty  years  ? 
The  principal  records,  sir,  are  not  in  Washington,  neither  are 
they  in  those  islands.  The  important  records  of  their  history 
are  in  the  archives  of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
at  Boston.  There  are  registered  the  principal  facts  in  their 


ADDRESS  AT  ST.  PAUL'S,  NEW  YORK.     297 

great  history  for  the  last  forty  or  fifty  years.  Where,  sir,  is  the 
history  of  Oregon?  It  is  not  at  Washington!  It  is  at  199 
Mulberry-street !  There,  sir,  are  the  letters  that  describe  the 
circumstances  of  that  country  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  In- 
dian war,  and  give  information  that  our  missionary  drew  on 
our  treasurer  for  the  funds  to  raise  the  army  which  went  out 
to  meet  the  hostile  tribes,  to  preserve  the  population  of  that 
land.  The  most  thrilling  events,  military  and  civil,  as  well  as 
religious,  relating  to  the  early  settlement  of  the  Pacific  coast, 
are  in  our  archives  at  199  Mulberry-street.  And  who  could 
write  the  history  of  India  for  the  last  twenty-five  years  and 
ignore  American  missionaries  and  their  influence  and  agency? 
or  of  China?  or  any  of  the  islands  of  ihe  earth,  in  fact,  in 
which  there  has  been  a  history  for  the  last  fifty  years?" 

WORK   OF  THE   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

The  Bishop  then  spoke  of  the  vice  of  intemperance,  stating 
that  the  conscience  of  the  people  must  be  awakened  on  that 
question,  and  asserting  that  those  men  who,  by  their  practice, 
led  the  young  to  form  habits  of  intemperance,  were  guilty  of 
awful  crimes. 

"  Christianity  was  not  that  tame  and  cowering  thing  that 
some  supposed  it  to  be,  but  it  was  the  manifestation  of  the 
mind  and  heart  of  God  for  humanity.  And  the  Church, 
with  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  in  her  heart,  and  with  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit  in  her  hand,  is  the  militant  power  by  which 
God  intends  to  punish  sin  and  overthrow  error,  and  every- 
where bring  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  to  an  end,  and 
establish  the  dominion  of  the  just.  And,  sir,  whoever  comes 
in  the  way  of  this  will  feel  its  overwhelming  influence.  This 
power  is  rising  in  the  world  ;  it  is  spreading,  it  is  prevailing, 
and  it  is  a  tide  that  will  never  ebb.  This  stone  cut  out  of  the 
mountain  without  hands,  in  its  evolutions,  has  gained  such 
momentum  that  it  will  never  be  stopped  in  its  career ;  and 
whoever  seeks  to  stop  it,  be  he  King,  or  President,  or  Pope, 
or  unfaithful  minister,  or  supple  politician,  will  be  dashed  to 
pieces  as  a  potter's  vessel. 


298  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

"  And  what  is  the  consequence  ?  I  say  here  to-night,  stand- 
ing on  the  boundary  line  to  which  you  have  referred — I  say  in 
this  presence  here  to-night — that  the  meetings  of  our  hoard  of 
managers  of  our  missionary  societies,  our  Bible  societies,  and 
our  Sunday-school  and  tract  societies,  are  as  important,  they 
have  in  them  as  much  of  the  weal  and  the  destiny  of  humanity, 
as  the  meetings  of  the  Legislatures  of  these  States ;  and  by 
consequence  their  records  are  as  important  in  the  history  of 
the  world,  and  they  will  be  of  as  much  advantage  to  coming 
generations  of  the  race,  as  will  be  the  journals  of  those  State 
Legislatures.  And  I  would  impress  upon  all  men  who  have 
the  responsibilties  of  directing  these  great  Christian  agencies 
the  gravity  of  their  office  and  the  solemnity  of  their  respon- 
sibilities. I  call  upon  the  Church  to-night  to  give  us  the 
means  of  providing  such  a  repository  as  shall  securely  pre- 
serve to  all  coming  time  the  records  of  our  missionary  work." 

The  Bishop  then  quoted  interesting  statistics  of  the  rise  and 
progress  of  the  Missionary  Society,  and  said  that  in  all  proba- 
bility in  twelve  years  from  this  time  that  society  would  admin- 
ister upon  several  millions  of  money  annually.  The  habits  of 
benevolence  which  are  being  formed  in  the  hearts  of  the 
children,  and  the  increasing  facilities  which  were  now  afforded 
for  carrying  forward  the  missionary  work,  were  eloquently 
alluded  to.  "  I  wish  I  had  the  power  to  bring  before  this 
congregation  the  grandeur  of  our  position.  Why,  sir,  we 
have  a  million  of  soldiers  in  the  field,  and  every  one  of 
them  a  devotee  to  Christ  and  his  cause ;  we  have  an- 
other million  of  cadets  in  our  schools  training  for  this  office 
and  work ;  we  have  thirteen  thousand  recruiting  stations  and 
eight  thousand  recruiting  officers,  and  we  have  all  this  host 
marshaled.  There  is  not  a  district  or  circuit  between  the  two 
oceans  that  is  not  all  organized  and  ready  for  this  work. 
Why,  sir,  in  this  organization  there  is  a  power  adequate  to 
move  the  world ;  and  when  this  marshaled  host  shall  make 
their  stately  steppings  upon  the  earth,  depend  upon  it,  the 
vibrations  created  will  shake  the  very  throne  of  hell,  and  the 
powers  of  darkness  must  give  way  before  it.  I  tell  you,  sir, 


COMPLETES  HIS  SIXTIETH  YEAR.        299 

this  missionary  work  is  no  trifle !  When  Jesus  Christ  said  to 
his  Church,  '  Disciple  the  world — preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature,'  he  used  no  hyperbole.  Why,  sir,  it  is  an  explicit, 
simple,  imperative  military  order,  and  we  must  obey  it  liter- 
ally and  promptly,  or  stand  court-martial  before  our  God.  If 
the  Church  wakes  up  to  this  sublime  thought  with  all  these 
advantages  and  facilities  to  which  we  have  referred,  who  can 
calculate  the  future  ?  I  believe  it  is,  as  you  said,  that  all  great 
growths  in  the  past  have  been  slow.  I  prophesy  it  will  not  be 
true  in  the  future.  The  growth  of  the  Church  of  the  living 
God,  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  will  be  in  arith- 
metical progression,  and  the  time  is  not  distant  when  a  nation 
will  be  born  to  God  in  a  day." 

In  conclusion  the  Bishop  said  :  "And  now  let  me  say  to  you 
— and  I  would  I  could  say  it  to  the  whole  Church — if  you  will 
give  to  us  these  mission  premises,  and  then  lift  up  your  heart 
in  fervent,  believing  prayer  to  Almighty  God  for  a  baptism  of 
the  mission  spirit  to  come  upon  us  in  this  year  of  the  cente- 
nary celebration,  we  will  accomplish  the  great  avowed  purpose 
of  our  Church  organization  —  spreading  scriptural  holiness 
over  all  lands ;  and  our  monumental  offering  at  our  next  cen- 
tennial celebration  shall  be  a  restored  humanity,  and  as  it 
comes  up  in  the  heavenly  realm  it  shall  awaken  the  most 
glowing  gratitude  and  praise  of  the  spirits  of  the  just  made 
perfect.  Angels  shall  see  it  with  adoring  gratitude,  and  God 
shall  behold  it  with  infinite  and  eternal  complacency.  I  intend 
to  be  there."  Several  voices  responded,  "  So  do  I." 

In  1867  the  Bishop's  Conferences  began  with  the 
New  Jersey,  March  20-26,  and  was  followed  by  the 
New  York,  Black  River,  Erie,  Delaware,  East  Gen- 
esee,  Detroit,  Genesee,  Upper  Iowa,  and  North- 
west Indiana  Conferences. 

During  the  session  of  the  New  York  Conference, 
April  3-10,  he  completed  his  sixtieth  year.  On 


300  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

his  birthday  he  received  a  thoughtful  and  affection- 
ate letter  from  his  twin  brother,  the  Rev.  Edwin  L. 
Janes.  It  expresses  the  pride  and  joy  which  the 
brother  felt  in  him,  and  the  quiet  modesty  with 
which  he  could  stand  by  and  see  the  stronger  of 
the  two  perform  the  mightier  work  and  reap  the 
nobler  rewards.  Two  brothers  were  never  more 
closely  joined  in  a  thorough  understanding  and  ap- 
preciation of  each  other : 

The  tie  that  binds  us  in  brotherhood  is  so  close  and  strong 
that  I  feel  to  be  identified  with  you  in  your  life-history. 
Rocked  in  the  same  cradle,  taught  in  the  same  elementary 
school,  pursuing  for  years  the  same  educational  work,  and 
laboring  side  by  side  for  nearly  forty  years  in  the  Christian 
ministry,  it  is  not  surprising  I  should  feel  an  intense  interest 
and  pleasure  in  your  welfare  and  success.  God  has  been 
pleased  to  endow  you  with  so  eminent  a  degree  of  mental  en- 
ergy, physical  strength,  and  Christian  zeal,  as  to  enable  you  to 
perform  a  marvelous  amount  of  work  in  his  Church,  and  with 
corresponding  success,  in  which  I  rejoice,  and  for  which  I 
thank  God  most  sincerely. 

Dear  brother,  we  cannot  be  unmindful  that  in  passing  our 
sixtieth  birthday  we  have  passed  a  mile-stone  in  our  journey 
that  indicates  we  are  getting  near  its  end.  Be  it  so  !  There 
is  a  glorious  rest  and  reward  in  the  final  period.  But  I 
trust  that,  however  bright  your  prospect  of  rest  and  reward 
may  be,  the  anticipation  will  not  put  you  in  a  hurry  to  die. 
Your  position  in  the  Church,  as  well  as  your  knowledge  and 
experience  of  the  workings  of  her  machinery,  qualify  you  to 
be  extensively  useful  after  you  shall  find  it  necessary  to  limit 
yourself  to  the  more  restricted  work  of  your  office.  I  trust 
that,  by  a  timely  limitation  of  your  heavy  and  incessant  labors, 
and  by  the  blessing  of  God,  your  life  may  be  prolonged  for 
many  years. 


DEATH  OF  FRIENDS.  301 

The  Bishop's  friends,  and  the  friends  of  his 
friends,  as  life  advanced,  were  ever  falling  around 
him.  The  previous  year  he  had  seen  the  Hon. 
Moses  F.  Odell  die  in  the  fullness  of  his  powers  and 
usefulness,  and  now  he  was  called  to  assist  at  the 
funeral  services  of  Francis  Hall,  publisher  of  the 
"New  York  Commercial."  The  Rev.  Aaron  K. 
Sanford,  of  the  New  York  Conference,  had  also 
been  bereaved  of  his  aged  father.  To  him  the 
Bishop  writes,  February  16  : 

I  sympathize  with  you  most  deeply.  ...  I  know  how  a  lov- 
ing, filial  heart  feels  when  bereaved  of  an  excellent  father.  .  .  . 
I  know  how  worthy  of  your  love  your  clear  father  was.  I  have 
seen  how  you  revered  and  loved  him.  Dear,  good  old  servant 
of  Jesus  and  his  Church— a  ripe  shock  of  corn  gathered  in  its 
season,  his  life  and  his  death  bring  glory  to  God. 

On  March  1 1  the  Bishop's  valued  friend,  Govern- 
or Wright,  died  at  Berlin.  He  felt  this  death  to  be 
not  only  a  personal  bereavement,  but  a  great  loss 
to  the  Church  and  the  nation.  But  his  views  of 
this  sorrow,  as  of  all  others,  are  cheerful.  He  writes 
to  Mrs.  Wright  from  New  York,  June  10 : 

.  .  .  Under  any  circumstances  the  loss  of  your  beloved  hus- 
band would  have  been  a  severe  affliction,  but  to  be  called  to 
the  separation  in  a  foreign  land,  away  from  most  of  your 
friends  to  whom  you  could  look  for  sympathy  and  kind  offices, 
must  have  greatly  enhanced  your  trouble.  But  was  the  death 
of  your  beloved  a  calamity  ?  Surely  it  was  gain  to  him. 
Though  the  honored  embassador  of  the  greatest  nation  on 
earth  to  another  great  nation,  and  consequently  holding  inter- 
course with  nobles  and  potentates,  yet  to  depart  and  be  with 


302  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Christ  was  better.  To  wear  an  unfading  crown  of  glory  him- 
self, in  the  presence  of  God  and  his  glorified,  is  better  than  to 
see  others  wear  an  earthly  diadem  here.  He  is  happier  at  the 
court  of  Heaven  than  he  could  be  at  the  court  of  Prussia.  To 
him  his  demise  has  been  no  affliction,  but  a  glorious  triumph, 
an  eternal  benefit.  This  is  one  of  the  instances  in  which  "  'Tis 
the  survivor  dies."  In  your  case,  however,  it  is  not  an  unmiti- 
gated affliction.  Did  you  not  witness  his  religious  life  ?  Did 
you  not  perceive  his  ripening  for  heaven  ?  Did  you  not  hear 
him  declare  his  faith  in  Christ  ?  Did  you  not  see  his  "  hold 
on  heaven  ? "  Did  you  not  witness  his  translation  ?  Was 
there  no  privilege  in  this?  Though  one  aspect  excited  your 
tender  and  painful  sympathy,  yet  the  other  aspect  is  most 
beautiful,  most  sublime — divinely  glorious.  O  may  we  triumph 
so  when  our  work  is  done  ! 

The  remains  of  Governor  Wright  were  brought  to 
America,  and  appropriate  funeral  services  were  ob- 
served in  St.  Paul's  Church,  New  York,  August  22. 
On  that  occasion  the  Bishop  paid  the  following 
tribute  to  his  character  : 

Governor  Wright  was  a  man  of  intelligence,  energy,  self- 
reliance,  and  perseverance.  His  success  in  life  abundantly 
proves  this.  As  a  friend,  he  was  affectionate,  sincere,  gener- 
ous, and  constant.  These  characteristics  attached  his  friends 
to  him  with  corresponding  fervor  and  fidelity.  He  was  a  true 
philanthropist.  He  sympathized  in  all  the  interests  of  human- 
ity. Both  in  public  and  private  life,  human  want  and  woe 
ever  found  a  ready  response  in  his  heart,  and,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, relief  from  his  hand.  He  regarded  intemperance  as  one  of 
the  most  destructive  vices  in  the  land,  and  identified  himself  most 
fully  with  the  temperance  reformation,  and  by  example  and  by 
public  addresses  and  by  personal  influence — in  every  way — he 
sought  to  promote  that  great  reform. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1861,  I  had  the  honor  and  the  happi- 


FUNERAL  OF  GOVERNOR  WRIGHT.       303 

ness  of  uniting  with  him,  and  the  American  citizens  then  pres- 
ent in  the  city  of  Berlin,  in  the  celebration  of  our  national 
anniversary.  And  it  was  to  me  an  honest  pride  to  see  him 
stand  up  before  the  public  men  there  present  from  this  coun- 
try, and  before  the  learned  and  noble  of  that  country,  and,  with 
his  glass  of  cold  water,  drink  the  health  of  the  King  of  Prussia 
and  the  health  of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
a  patriot.  He  loved  his  country.  In  all  the  offices  he  held  in 
the  State  and  national  governments  he  earnestly  and  honestly 
sought  the  public  good.  He  was  incapable  of  bribery.  When 
governor,  a  company  offered  him  a  bribe  of  $50,000  if  he 
would  give  his  official  sanction  to  a  certain  railroad  grant.  He 
indignantly  spurned  the  bribe  and  those  who  offered  it.  In  his 
last  sickness  he  said  :  "  If  I  thank  God  for  any  thing,  it  is  that 
I  never  received  a  bribe  or  did  violence  to  my  conscientious 
convictions  of  duty  in  any  public  position." 

Governor  Wright  was  a  Christian.  When  about  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  while  in  a  Methodist  meeting  one  evening,  he  fully 
determined  promptly  to  give  his  heart  to  God,  and  become  a 
true  disciple  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  went  home  with  this 
resolve  fixed  in  his  mind  and  heart,  retired  to  a  private  room, 
humbled  himself  before  God,  and  implored  mercy  in  the  name 
of  Christ.  Before  the  break  of  day  his  earnest,  penitent  prayers 
were  heard,  and  he  rejoiced  in  the  salvation  of  divine  grace. 
He  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  immediately 
entered  upon  a  life  of  religious  devotions  and  Christian  activi- 
ties. Whatever  concerned  the  cause  of  God  interested  him. 
He  was  ready  in  any  way  to  serve  his  gracious  Lord.  When 
the  governor  of  the  State  he  regularly  taught  a  Bible  class  in 
the  Sunday-school.  While  at  the  court  of  Berlin  he  had  his 
Bible  class  in  the  Mission  School  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  During  his  embassy  to  that  court  he  took  great  in- 
terest in  the  building  of  a  Methodist  Church,  in  which  there 
might  be  preaching  in  the  English  language  for  the  benefit  of 
the  American  residents  and  visitors.  To  this  enterprise  he 
and  his  family  gave  their  sympathy,  their  services,  their  money, 
and  their  influence.  On  the  first  Sabbath  in  January  a  few 


304  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Christian  friends  assembled  in  his  room  and  united  with  him 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  During  the  services 
he  desired  them  to  sing  the  hymn  commencing  "  Rock  of  Ages, 
cleft  for  me,"  and  the  one  commencing,  "  Lord,  I  am  thine, 
entirely  thine."  While  they  were  singing  the  words, 

"  Thy  grace  can  full  assistance  lend, 
And  on  that  grace  I  dare  depend," 

he  looked  up,  beckoned  his  wife  to  him,  and  exclaimed,  "  He 
floods  my  soul  with  light  and  love.  '  The  great  transaction's 
done.'  '  Jesus  is  mine  and  I  am  his.'  "  From  that  hour  until 
his  death  he  had  not  a  doubt  of  his  salvation.  An  infidel 
friend  was  present  at  one  time  conversing  with  him  on  the 
subject  of  Christianity,  and  expressing  to  him  his  disbelief  in 
the  claims  of  the  holy  Scripture,  the  governor,  smiting  upon 
his  breast,  said  to  him  with  great  emotion  :  "  I  know  I  am 
right ;  I  would  not  take  ten  thousand  worlds  for  this  inward 
consciousness  of  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ.  Nothing 
can  destroy  my  faith  in  God."  To  the  young  ministers  who 
visited  him  he  said,  "  Preach  Christ,  and  only  Christ."  To 
Dr.  Jacoby  he  said,  "  I  am  not  excited,  I  am  very  quiet ;  but  I 
am  very  happy.  I  have  the  full  assurance  of  heaven  and 
glory." 

As  yet  but  little  reference  has  been  made  to  a 
branch  of  Church  work  in  which  the  Bishop  heart- 
ily entered — the  camp-meeting.  At  this  period  the 
institution,  if  I  may  call  it  such,  was  recovering 
much  of  its  primitive  vigor,  and  by  a  widening  out 
of  its  uses  and  adaptations  was  entering  upon  a 
new  career  of  usefulness.  To  a  man  of  the  Bish- 
op's temperament  no  scene  could  be  more  inspiring 
than  a  sea  of  upturned  eager  fac'es  amid  the  hush 
and  sweetness  of  the  forest.  On  such  occasions  he 


PREACHING  AT  CAMP-MEETING.         305 

preached  some  of  his  most  effective  sermons.  A 
large  and  beautiful  grove  had  recently  been  dedi- 
cated to  divine  worship  at  Denville,  near  Morris- 
town,  N.  J.,  and  in  the  summer  of  this  year  he  was 
among  the  preachers.  The  following  correspond- 
ence between  Mr.  Jacob  Aber,  of  Lynn,  Mass.,  and 
himself,  is  valuable  for  its  allusions  to  the  sermon 
then  preached,  and  also  for  the  sound  words  the 
Bishop  uses  about  himself. 
Mr.  Aber  to  Bishop  Janes: 

We  have  had  several  letters  speaking  in  the  most  flattering 
terms  of  your  sermon  preached  at  the  camp  at  Denville,  N.  J. 
Last  Saturday  the  "  Methodist "  of  the  7th  inst.  came  with 
your  sermon  in  it  in  full.  I  read  it  in  the  afternoon  ;  in  the 
evening  we  talked  it  over.  Sabbath  morning  I  was  not  well 
enough  to  attend  church,  so  I  read  your  sermon.  Read  it 
again  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  the  evening  my  wife  read  it  to 
me.  So  you  see  we  have  about  devoured  it.  O,  it  reads  so 
good !  It  is  the  same  doctrine  that  was  taught  us  by  the 
fathers  in  our  youth.  Ten  thousand  thanks  to  you  for  it. 

Bishop  Janes  to  Mr.  Aber : 

Yours  of  September  9  reached  me  duly.  I  am  much  obliged 
to  you  for  it.  It  brought  vividly  to  my  mind  experiences  of 
my  early  official  life.  What  a  life  of  care  and  toil  and  expos- 
ure mine  has  been  !  I  regret  nothing  but  my  unfaithfulness. 
I  have  lived  and  labored  for  Jesus.  The  motive  has  made  all 
service  and  all  suffering  a  religious  pleasure.  I  have  not 
sought  happiness,  I  have  sought  goodness  and  usefulness.  I 
judge  that  is  the  surest  way  to  obtain  happiness.  My  life  has 
been  a  happy  one. 

I  have  seen  much  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  in  the  land 
of  the  living.  I  appreciate  your  commendation  of  my  sermon 


306  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

at  Denville  camp-meeting.  That  is  a  good  sermon  which  is 
approved  by  the  spiritual  children  of  God,  that  edifies  and 
encourages  believers.  I  pay  no  attention  to  literary  criticisms. 
I  have  always  preached  to  save  souls.  My  office  does  not 
allow  me  to  do  much  pastoral  work  or  preach  as  often  as  I 
desire.  I  love  to  preach  ;  it  is  an  unspeakable  delight  to  me  to 
hold  up  Jesus  to  my  sinful  fellow-men,  and  to  say  to  them  all — 
through  him  you  may  be  saved.  Hallelujah  to  God  and  the 
Lamb ! 

The  Indiana,  North-west  Indiana,  and  South-east 
Indiana  Conferences  heldtheirsessions  simultaneous- 
ly, September  1 1,  and  had  a  reunion  at  Indianapolis. 
Bishops  Janes  and  Ames  made  addresses.  In  Indi- 
ana Methodism  has  won  some  of  its  greatest  victo- 
ries, and  the  occasion  was  one  of  sincere  congratu- 
lations. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  the  Bishop  was  the  re- 
cipient of  a  high  mark  of  consideration  from  the 
Irish  Wesleyan  Conference,  in  the  presentation  of  a 
set  of  the  reprint  of  Minutes  of  the  Conferences 
since  1851.  The  Rev.  James  Tobias,  Secretary  of 
the  Conference,  accompanied  the  gift  with  the 
hope  that  "you  will  receive  it  as  a  recognition  of 
the  kind  and  generous  interest  which  you  have  taken 
in  our  affairs." 

The  last  General  Conference  had  created  the 
Delaware  Conference  for  the  people  of  color,  and 
authorized  the  Bishops  to  organize  in  the  South,  as 
the  territory  might  open  and  the  circumstances 
might  require,  Mission  Conferences,  which  should 


CONFERENCES  IN  THE  SOUTH.          307 

extend  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  over  those  wishing  to  adhere  to  it. 
During  the  four  years  the  Washington,  South  Car- 
olina, Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  Georgia,  and 
Texas  Mission  Conferences  were  formed.  January 
2-6,  1868,  Bishop  Janes  met  the  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina  Mission  Conference  at  Richmond,  Va. 
He  appointed  22  preachers  to  charges.  Thence  he 
went  on  to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  met  the  South 
Carolina  Mission  Conference,  February  26-29,  where 
he  assigned  40  preachers  to  the  care  of  18,200 
members  and  probationers.  Thus  the  work  among 
the  people  of  color  in  the  former  slave  States,  since 
productive  of  such  wholesome  results,  was  fairly 
begun.  The  freedmen  in  large  numbers  left  the 
communion  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  and  gave  in  their  adhesion  to  the  old 
Church,  believing,  as  they  did,  that  the  Church 
which  had  been  the  ally  of  the  Government  in  the 
war  which  had  freed  them  was  their  truest  friend 
and  their  best  spiritual  home.  Bishop  Janes  es- 
poused the  cause  of  this  people  with  his  customary 
zeal,  and  in  all  the  measures  which  contemplated 
their  relief  no  one  of  the  Bishops  was  more  saga- 
cious, earnest,  and  active  than  he. 

On  returning  North  the  Bishop  met  the  Phila- 
delphia and  New  York  East  Conferences.  The 
New  York  Conference  convened  at  Harlem,  New 
York,  April  I,  and  the  New  York  East,  in  Brook- 


308  LIFE  OF  EDMU,XD  S.  JANES. 

lyn,  on  the  same  day.  The  two  Conferences  had 
not  met  together  since  they  were  divided  in  1848, 
and  it  was  thought  the  present  time,  after  the 
lapse  of  twenty  years,  was  a  fitting  occasion  to  do 
so,  and  a  reunion  was,  accordingly,  determined 
upon,  and  held  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  April  3,  pre- 
sided over  by  Bishops  Janes  and  Clark.  I  give  a 
portion  of  Bishop  Janes's  appropriate  address  as  re- 
ported at  the  time : 

My  feelings  incline  me  to  refer  a  little  more  distinctly  to 
the  lists  of  those  brethren  who  were  with  us  at  that  time, 
but  whose  bodily  presence  is  now  lacking.  What  a  com- 
pany of  men  !  what  a  ministerial  power !  The  patriarchal, 
wise,  good,  long-honored  Nathan  Bangs ;  the  profound  theo- 
logian, the  able  minister,  Peter  P.  Sandford  ;  the  loving  and 
beloved  Bartholomew  Creagh  ;  the  courteous,  practical,  useful 
Martindale ;  the  intellectual,  scholarly,  self-reliant  Floy ;  the 
eccentric,  but  intelligent  and  really  godly  Phineas  Rice ;  the 
eloquent,  the  popular,  the  successful  Kennaday ;  the  majestic, 
mighty,  learned,  but  humble  Olin.  But  time  would  fail  me  to 
refer  to  Seaman  and  Jewett  and  Matthias  and  Hagany.  and 
a  multitude,  or  many,  at  least,  of  others  of  eminence  and 
worth,  whose  record  is  on  high,  but  whose  memory  should  be 
cherished  on  earth.  And  then  another  class — Mercein  and 
Foss  and  Law,  who  were  in  the  morning  of  their  ministry, 
who  were  yet  blossoming,  and  passed  away  before  their  ma- 
turity, and  upon  whose  memory  rests  the  fragrance  of  the 
Rose  of  Sharon.  O  !  many  of  our  brethren  who  then  stood 
with  us  in  these  ranks,  whose  names  we  have  not  even  called, 
will  be  stars  of  the  first  magnitude  in  that  beautiful  cluster 
which  these  Conferences  are  placing  in  those  spiritual  heavens 
where  they  that  have  turned  many  to  righteousness  shall  shine 
as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever.  I  express  it  as  my  convic- 
tion that  we  have  in  the  ministry  at  this  time,  in  the  fathers,  in 


DEDICATION  OF  ST.  JOHN'S.  309 

the  brethren,  and  in  the  young  men,  as  much  wisdom,  as  much 
qualification  for  the  work,  as  much  devotion  to  it,  as  there  was 
at  that  period  ;  and  I  believe  that  there  is  no  backsliding  in 
the  Churches  either ;  that  the  present  day  is  as  good  as  the 
past,  and  I  look  forward  to  our  future  with  the  highest  hopes, 
with  the  liveliest  anticipation.  I  will  conclude  by  saying  that 
I  trust  these  two  New  York  Conferences  will  appreciate  their 
position,  and  will  feel  the  peculiar  responsibility  that  rests 
upon  them  from  their  geographical  location  in  this  great  city 
and  the  surrounding  cities — this  center  of  many  influences, 
and  this  place  of  general  power.  But— I  cannot  enlarge  ;  the 
watch  will  not  stop  for  me  to  talk.  I  have  you  in  my  heart,  to 
live  and  die  with  you.  I  received  my  natural  and  my  spiritual 
birth  within  your  Conference  bounds.  I  commenced  my  pub- 
lic Methodistic  career,  also,  within  your  limits,  and  I  shall  be 
happy,  if  God  so  order,  to  die  with  you,  and  to  have  my  grave 
with  you.  And  yet  I  feel,  from  my  position,  that  I  am  just  as 
likely  to  die  in  China  or  India,  or,  like  Coke,  on  the  ocean. 
But  wherever  I  give  up  my  spirit,  I  intend  to  have  a  union  with 
you  in  heaven,  at  the  throne  of  God. 

The  new,  capacious,  and  beautiful  St.  John's 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Brooklyn,  E.  D.,  was 
dedicated  on  April  23,  Bishop  Janes  preaching  in 
the  morning,  and  the  Rev.  William  Morley  Pun- 

shon,  of  England,  in  the  evening. 
14 


3io  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JAMES. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

1868-1870. 

The  General  Conference  at  Chicago — Summer  and  Autumn  Con- 
ferences— Opening  of  the  Work  in  the  South — Twenty-fifth  Year 
in  the  Episcopacy — Eminent  Dead,  Bishops  Thomson,  Kingsley, 
and  others. 

THE  fifteenth  delegated  General  Conference  met 
at  Chicago,  Illinois,  on  May  I,  1868.     All  the 
Bishops  were  present  at  the  opening   session  but 
Bishop  Baker,  who  was  detained  by  illness.     The 
Bishops  say  in  their  address : 

Never  in  the  history  of  the  Church  has  a  General  Confer- 
ence convened  under  circumstances  more  favorable  than  those 
which  attend  this  session.  .  .  .  The  place  of  its  assembling — 
this  city  so  recent  in  date,  of  such  wonderful  growth,  located 
on  the  shore  of  a  beautiful  inland  lake,  yet  reaching  its  arms 
of  commerce  to  distant  parts  of  the  globe — seems  in  harmony 
with  the  progress  of  the  Church,  to  which  God  has  given  such 
rapidly  extending  boundaries.  It  has  not  only  kept  pace  with 
the  advancing  columns  of  population  on  this  continent,  but, 
claiming  the  world  for  its  parish,  it  has  organized  its  Confer- 
ences in  Africa,  Europe,  and  Asia. 

Bishop  Janes,  in  response  to  the  request  of  the 
Conference,  delivered  a  report  of  his  visit  to  the 
British  and  Irish  Wesleyan  Conferences.  A  few 
extracts  only  can  be  given  ;  from  one  of  which  it 
will  be  seen  that  his  sagacious  and  comprehensive 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AT  CHICAGO.     311 

mind  had  already  forecast  the  Ecumenical  Council 
of  Methodism,  which  occurs  this  year  (1881)  in  the 
city  of  London. 

I  was  most  profoundly  impressed  with  the  wisdom  and  dig- 
nity and  spirituality  of  the  Conferences. 

My  examination  of  Methodism  in  different  countries  has 
convinced  me  that  it  can  live  and  operate  in  almost  any  condi- 
tion and  despite  almost  all  embarrassments.  It  is  simply  con- 
sistent truth  and  divine  grace  working  together,  by  chosen 
and  sanctified  instrumentalities,  for  the  salvation  of  men.  Its 
spirit  is  the  spirit  of  Calvary,  its  power  is  the  power  of  Pente- 
cost, its  glory  the  glory  of  the  Cross.  Yet  the  less  incumbered 
it  is,  and  the  better  adapted  its  instrumentalities,  the  greater 
will  be  its  success.  I  have  also  been  impressed  with  the  im- 
portance of  the  connectional  character  of  Methodism  as  essen- 
tial to  the  fullest  accomplishment  of  its  great  mission.  Its 
direct  action  is  to.  convert  sinners,  and  to  spread  scriptural 
holiness  over  all  lands.  Its  indirect,  incidental  influence  is,  in 
connection  with  other  free  evangelical  Churches,  by  the  moral 
effect  of  the  voluntary  principle,  to  separate  all  Protestant 
Churches  from  the  State.  This  end,  in  my  opinion,  draws  nigh. 
And,  when  this  is  done,  then  it  will  be  our  work  and  mission 
to  antagonize  a  non-political  and  spiritual  Church  to  a  political 
and  ceremonial  Church.  When  these  antagonisms  meet,  as 
meet  they  must,  we  shall  need  the  connectional  power.  In 
those  times,  how  it  will  encourage  the  hearts  and  strengthen  the 
hands  of  those  who  may  compose  that  great  General  Conference 
— and  I  believe  there  are  men  here  who  will  be  there — to  have 
present  corresponding  sympathizing  members  from  England, 
Ireland,  France,  Germany,  Turkey,  India,  China,  Africa,  South 
America,  and  the  islands  of  the  sea!  What  a  representative 
prayer- meet  ing  they  could  hold  !  Where  that  General  Confer- 
ence shall  meet — whether  in  Chicago  or  New  York,  or  San 
Francisco  or  London,  or  Rome  or  China — I  do  not  know.  But 
meet  where  it  may,  it  will  be  a  grand  power  for  the  transforma- 
tion of  the  world.  This  may  seem  chimerical  to  some,  and 


312  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

perhaps  to  most,  but  I  think  I  see  it,  and  it  is  no  chimera  to 
my  mind.  It  has  not  yet  fully  taken  shape  in  my  mind,  but  its 
outline  is  there ;  and  I  trust  you  will  see  it  when  it  has  taken 
shape  and  is  established.  But  I  submit  whether  there  is  not 
sober  truth  enough  in  it  to  show  the  importance  of  maintain- 
ing our  connectional  character  inviolate,  and  fraternizing  with 
the  other  branches  of  the  Methodist  family  more  closely. 

The  Rev.  William  Morley  Punshon,  M.A.,  had 
been  appointed  by  the  British  Conference  fraternal 
delegate  to  the  General  Conference  of  1868,  and 
his  advent  in  America,  not  only  because  of  his  offi- 
cial character,  but  because  of  his  pre-eminent  posi- 
tion as  the  foremost  pulpit  orator  of  Wesleyan 
Methodism,  excited  a  very  profound  interest.  His 
sermons  and  address  before  the  Conference,  and,  in- 
deed, the  'sermons  and  lectures  he  delivered  at  vari- 
ous times  and  places  while  resident  in  Canada,  as 
President  of  the  Wesleyan  body  in  the  "  Domin- 
ion," were  listened  to  by  large  and  delighted  audi- 
ences. He  became  greatly  endeared  to  Bishop 
Janes,  and  to  all  the  Bishops,  ministers,  and  people 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as  well  for  his 
sterling  personal  qualities  as  for  his  transcendent 
eloquence. 

"  Lay  Representation  in  the  General  Conference  " 
was  the  absorbing  topic  of  the  session  of  1868.  A 
hotly  contested  debate  finally  resulted  in  the  adop- 
tion of  a  report  re-affirming  the  positions  of  1860 
and  1864,  and  providing  for  the  introduction  of  lay 
delegates  into  the  General  Conference  of  1872  on 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AT  CHICAGO.     313 

condition  that  a  majority  of  the  people  above 
twenty-one  years  of  age  present  and  voting,  and 
three  fourths  of  the  members  of  the  Annual  Con- 
ferences, and  two  thirds  of  the  delegates  to  the 
next  General  Conference,  should  so  decide. 

The  Church  Extension  and  Freedmen's  Aid  So- 
cieties of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which 
had  originated  during  the  interim  of  the  sessions  of 
1864  and  1868,  were  fully  authorized  by  this  Confer- 
ence, and  adopted  as  General  Conference  societies. 
After  a  session  of  twenty-seven  days  the  Conference 
adjourned,  Bishop  Janes  making  the  closing  address 
and  offering  the  closing  prayer. 

A  fragment  of  diary,  in  the  Bishop's  hand-writ- 
ing, for  the  month  of  August,  shows  how  he  usually 
whiled  away  his  time  through  the  dog  days,  when 
no  Conference  sessions  were  on  his  hands : 

Sunday,  Aug.  2.  Dedicated  Tompkins  Avenue  Church, 
Brooklyn. 

Sunday,  Aug.  9.  Dedicated  a  Church  at  Long  Branch,  N.  J. 

Tuesday,  Aug.  \  i.  Preached  at  the  Sing  Sing  camp-meeting. 
God  helped  me. 

Wednesday,  Aug.  12.  Dedicated  a  church  at  Rondout,  New 
York. 

'Wednesday,  Aug.  19.  Dedicated  the  church  at  Summit,  New 
Jersey. 

Thursday,  Aug.  20.  Dedicated  a  church  at  Mount  Kisco, 
on  the  Harlem  railroad. 

Friday,  Aug.  21.  Laid  the  corner-stone  of  a  church  in  Perry- 
street,  New  York. 

Sunday,  Aug.  23.  Preached  at  Bernard sville,  from  "  He  shall 
be  called  Wonderful."  A  pleasant  meditation. 


314  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Wednesday,  Aug.  26.  Preached  at  the  Morristown  camp- 
meeting  from  James  v,  19,  20.  Loss  of  sleep  and  close  applica- 
tion to  letter-writing  left  me  poorly  qualified  to  preach. 

Thursday,  Aug.  27.  Spent  day  in  business  in  New  York. 
Took  cars  in  the  evening  for  the  West. 

From  the  sermon  at  the  Sing  Sing  camp-meeting, 
on  the  peace  of  God,  Phil.  iv.  7,  in  the  preaching 
of  which  he  says,  "  God  helped  me,"  there  occurs  a 
passage  on  the  right  of  a  believer  to  shout,  and 
what  it  is  that  should  shout : 

Shall  men  be  full  of  joy  and  utter  it  with  music,  with  dancing, 
with  singing  and  with  shouting,  in  their  wild  revelries  of  sin 
and  folly,  and  shall  not  men  and  women,  when  they  come 
together  in  the  name  of  God,  and  engage  in  his  most  holy 
worship  ?  When  He  comes  down  and  manifests  his  presence, 
reveals  his  glory,  dispenses  his  grace,  supplies  their  every  want, 
and  makes  them  exultant  in  the  divine  and  joyous  experience 
of  his  grace,  shall  they  have  no  utterance,  no  testimony?  "  Cry 
out  and  shout,  thou  inhabitant  of  Zion :  for  great  is  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel  in  the  midst  of  thee."  Let  the  world  hear  our 
joyous  noise ;  let  the  whole  earth  be  full  of  the  praise  of  God, 
and  from  the  lips  of  his  people.  It  is  just  as  orderly  and  as 
proper  to  shout  here  as  it  is  in  heaven ;  it  is  just  as  proper  to 
lift  up  our  voices  like  many  waters  as  it  will  be  in  the  day  of 
our  triumph  in  glory.  Let  your  conduct  and  your  shout  have 
an  affinity.  You  may  not  only  send  them  to  heaven,  but  you 
may  send  them  to  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  not  only  shout  at 
your  family  altar,  and  in  your  sanctuary,  but  in  your  store,  and 
in  the  street;  but,  remember,  it  must  be  character  that  shouts. 
And  when  you  have  this  experience,  when  you  have  this  peace 
of  God  in  your  souls,  the  life  will  be  such  as  will  justify  the 
wisdom  of  God's  children  in  all  their  rejoicings  and  in  all  their 
trials.  There  will  be  a  great  deal  of  religious  noise  in  this 
world  before  it  is  converted ;  there  will  be  a  great  deal  more 
when  it  is  converted.  I  hope  you  will  have  here,  before  this 


WlLDERCLIFFE  ON   THE   HUDSON.  315 

meeting  closes,  the  shouts  of  converts  that  will  ring  through 
all  this  congregation  and  fill  all  this  space ;  and  God  will  be 
honored  by  it.  If  any  are  so  precise  in  their  religious  character 
as  that  they  cannot  enjoy  it,  let  them  go  to  their  closets,  and  in 
answer  to  prayer,  get  power,  and  when  they  get  the  taste,  they 
will  relish  it  as  much  as  we  do,  and  as  much  as  angels  do,  and 
as  much  as  God  does. 

In  the  summer  and  autumn  the  Bishop  met  the 
Delaware,  Iowa,  Illinois,  and  Central  Illinois  Con- 
ferences, concluding  his  official  work  on  Sept.  28. 

Among  the  earthly  havens  into  which  the  Bishop 
loved  to  put,  if  he  could  find  a  leisure  day  to  furl 
his  sails  and  lie  at  anchor,  was  Wildercliffe,  the  resi- 
dence of  Miss  Mary  Garrettson,  near  Rhinebeck, 
N.  Y.  This  beautiful  home,  bequeathed  to  Miss 
Garrettson  by  her  venerable  parents,  overlooking 
the  Hudson,  and  commanding  a  distant  view  of 
the  Catskill  Mountains  as  well,  was  ever  open  to 
Methodist  ministers,  and  none  were  more  welcome 
guests  there  than  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Janes.  The 
peaceful  rural  surroundings,  the  play  of  light  and 
shadow  upon  water,  valley,  and  mountain,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  high  and  holy  thinking  and  con- 
verse within  doors,  constituted  it  a  thoroughly  at- 
tractive and  restful  spot  to  the  weary  sojourner. 
Yet  it  was  seldom  the  Bishop  could  indulge  him- 
self in  its  luxurious  rest. 

To  Miss  M.  Garrettson,  August  20: 

May  grace,  mercy,  and  peace  be  multiplied  unto  you  abun- 
danth/.  I  received  your  letter  very  kindly  inviting  me  to  visit 


316  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

you  at  the  time  of  the  dedication  at  Rondout.  It  was  in  my 
heart  to  do  so,  but  official  obligations  did  not  permit.  .My 
public  duties  become  more  and  more  engrossing  every  year. 
Every  advance  of  the  Church  increases  the  care  and  labors  of 
the  General  Superintendents.  It  is  sweet  to  work  for  Jesus. 
It  is  deeply  interesting  to  labor  for  humanity,  especially  for 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  race.  To  be  workers  together  with 
God  in  saving  souls  is  a  sublime  and  blessed  privilege.  I  am 
sorry  I  have  not  appreciated  it  more  highly.  My  sun  has 
passed  its  meridian.  I  am  in  the  afternoon  of  life.  I  am 
resolved  that  my  evening  time  shall  bring  good  to  man  and 
glory  to  God.  I  trust  you  are  in  comfortable  health.  I  doubt 
not  you  enjoy  as  keenly  as  ever  the  remarkable  and  almost 
redundant  natural  beauties  with  which  your  heavenly  Father 
has  surrounded  you.  Though  your  eye  may  become  dim,* 
they  will  never  fade  from  your  mind.  In  childhood  you  looked 
upon  them  when  your  father  and  mother  enjoyed  them  with 
you.  To  you  they  are  sacred.  O  how  your  heart  must 
cherish  them !  But  there  are  sublimer,  sweeter,  and  more 
sacred  visions  for  us  to  behold.  To  see  the  King  in  his 
beauty,  to  see  Jesus  as  he  is,  to  see  those  beloved  parents  in 
their  beatitude,  and  to  be  with  them  and  like  them — O  what 
ravished  visions  heaven  will  afford  !  What  a  blessed  hope  is 
ours  while  here  on  earth  we  stay  !  We  will  not  be  concerned 
if  our  bodies  fail,  if  time  flits  by.  Death  is  gain.  To  depart 
and  be  with  Christ,  when  life's  work  is  all  clone,  is  far  better. 
Glory  be  to  God  for  the  assurance !  I  intend  to  visit  you 
just  as  soon  as  God  will  permit.  Mrs.  Janes  loves  ypu  very 
much. 

Among  the  burdens  which  pressed  upon  the 
heart  of  the  Bishop  this  autumn  was  the  work  in 
the  South  Carolina  Conference,  solicitude  for  a  new 
church  building  in  Richmond,  Va.,  and  also  the 

*  An  allusion  to  the  fact  that  at  this  time  Miss  Garrettson  was 
threatened  with  blindness. 


THE  WORK  IN  THE  SOUTH.  317 

urgent  growing  demands  of  the  City  Sunday-School 
and  Church  Extension  Society  in  New  York  city. 
The  Rev.  T.  Willard  Lewis  writes  him  from  Charles- 
ton, S.  C. : 

Baker  Institute  opened  Monday  last  with  eighteen  promising 
young  men,  but  how  I  am  to  get  through  the  year  without 
more  aid  I  know  not,  and  I  feel  sad  at  the  condition  of  our 
missionary  treasury,  but  trust  God  may  open  some  way  for  our 
relief.  If  Grant  is  elected  I  think  we  shall  have  passable  pro- 
tection, and  can  push  forward  our  work  if  we  can  only  have 
the  men  and  the  means. 

And  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  A.  Webster,  of  Charleston, 
further  says : 

We  shall  greatly  need  an  increase  in  our  appropriation  here. 
Think  of  one  presiding  elder  district  with  nearly,  or  quite, 
20,000  members. 

Mrs.  General  Canby  writes  to  the  Bishop  from 
Richmond,  Va. : 

I  am  glad  to  hear  you  favor  the  idea  of  keeping  up  a  North- 
ern Methodist  Episcopal  Church  here  in  this  very  heart  of 
rebeldom.  The  need  of  a  good  Union  Church  in  this  city  is 
far  greater  than  even  you  imagine — a  Church  where  loyal 
people  can  feel  they  are  among  friends. 

The  above  reference  to  the  election  of  General 
Grant  may  appropriately  introduce  a  letter  of  the 
Bishop  making  mention  of  a  visit  to  the  General  at 
Washington.  The  great  captain  had  just  been 
elected  to  the  Presidency,  and  was,  if  possible,  more 
than  ever  the  center  of  all  eyes.  The  Bishops  had 

united  in  a  congratulatory  address  to  the  General 

14* 


318  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

on  his  election,  and  Bishops  Janes  and  Ames  were 
deputed  to  bear  it  : 

General  Grant  received  us  very  courteously.  Bishop  Ames 
briefly  stated  our  object  in  seeking  the  interview,  and  I  read 
to  him  the  official  letter  of  the  Bishops.  He  seemed  consider- 
ably affected  by  it  ;  thanked  the  Bishops  very  earnestly  for 
their  consideration  of  him.  After  the  official  transaction  was 
ended  we  entered  into  a  free  conversation.  He  was  very  easy 
and  unreserved  in  the  expression  of  his  views  of  his  position 
and  of  public  affairs.  The  leave-taking  was  expressive  of  re- 
ciprocal regards. 

How  like  the  rich,  sublime  beauties  of  an  au- 
tumnal day  the  portraiture  here  of  growing  old  ' 
These  beauties,  alas  !  the  harbingers  of  approaching 
winter  ;  but  with  him  even  winter  shall  be  gladdened 
with  the  fruits  of  holy  living. 

To  Mrs.  Janes: 


It  is  true  the  autumn  of  life  is  on  us,  but  its  frosts  will  only 
purify  our  spiritual  atmosphere,  and  its  cool  days  only  invigor- 
ate our  souls.  The  winter  of  life  with  us,  you  know,  is  to  be 
very  pleasant.  Even 

"  On  the  cold  cheek  of  death  smiles  and  roses  are  blending, 
And  beauty  immortal  awakes  from  the  tomb." 

Religion  makes  flowers  bloom  every-where,  and  its  ripe  and 
luscious  fruits  are  always  plenteous  and  within  reach. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  parent  Missionary 
Society  was  held  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  January 
10  and  11,  1869,  at  which  the  Bishop  was  one  of 
the  preachers  and  speakers.  Standing  in  the  cap- 


MISSIONARY  JUBILEE.  319 

ital  of  the  nation,  surrounded  by  scholars  and  states- 
men, and  looking  back  upon  the  half  century's 
work  of  the  society,  he  says  : 

Who  sympathizes  with  the  heathen  world  to-night  ?  Where 
is  there  any  interest  on  this  question  except  with  God  and  his 
Church  ?  Who  are  laying  plans,  forming  schemes,  devising 
measures,  and  giving  money  to  meet  these  circumstances  and 
to  relieve  these  wants  ?  The  governments  of  the  earth  are  not 
directly  doing  it.  England  and  the  United  States  are  the  two 
most  enlightened  and  most  powerful  Protestant  nations  in  the 
world  ;  and  yet  this  question  has  never  come  up  in  the  cabinets 
of  either  of  these  governments.  I  do  not  sny  that  it  ought 
to.  It  may  not  be  the  legitimate  function  of  government ;  at 
any  rate,  perhaps  the  minds  of  neither  nation  are  prepared  to 
sustain  the  government  in  doing  this.  Well,  infidels  do  not 
do  it.  There  never  has  been,  and  is  not  to-night,  an  infidel 
missionary  society  for  sending  the  light  of  God's  truth  and  the 
institutions  of  God's  grace  to  the  benighted,  perishing  heathen 
nations.  Infidels  do  not  send  help  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  seek 
to  rob  us  of  our  God,  of  our  Saviour,  and  of  our  heaven.  Phi- 
losophers do  not  do  it.  We  have  scientific  associations — his- 
torical, geological,  astronomical.  These  philosophers  are  in- 
terested in  the  study  of  the  stars,  and  in  the  discovery  of  those 
which  have  not  before  been  observed  ;  but  who  of  them  ever 
talks  to  the  world  about  the  Star  of  Bethlehem  ?  These  phi- 
losophers are  most  deeply  and  proudly  interested  in  the  tri- 
umphs of  science,  and  are  engaged  heartily  and  earnestly  in 
forming  electric  currents  of  thought  through  the  ocean,  from 
continent  to  continent  and  kingdom  to  kingdom,  but  which  of 
them  ever  thought  of  sending  a  current  of  God's  love  to  any 
one  of  those  distant  and  barbarous  climes  ?  Commerce  is  not 
doing  it.  Commerce  has  aided  in  providing  facilities  of  inter- 
national communication — and  they  are  advantageous  to  our 
Christian  enterprise  ;  but  commerce  does  not  seek  to  evangel- 
ize the  nations  :  on  the  contrary,  many  of  its  agencies  are  the 


320  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

most  embarrassing  circumstances  which  we  have  to  contend 
with  in  propagating  the  Gospel.  I  repeat  it,  the  only  sympathy 
which  the  heathen  world  has  is  in  the  heart  of  God  and  the 
heart  of  his  Church,  and  the  only  influences  which  have  been 
exerted  for  the  recovery  and  salvation  of  the  nations  is  God 
and  his  people — his  people  working  with  him  in  this  work  of 
evangelism,  of  sending  his  word  and  his  grace  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth. 

In  our  missionary  work  we  embrace  the  domestic  as  well  as 
the  foreign.  We  are  looking  to  our  own  country  as  well  as  to 
distant  lands  ;  and  my  impression  is  that  we  are  wise  in  doing 
so.  I  think  in  these  United  States  is  to  be  the  seat  both  of 
civil  and  religious  power;  that  our  institutions  must  be  pre- 
served in  order  to  the  bringing  in  of  those  happy  days  which 
have  been  referred  to  by  both  the  previous  speakers.  For  this 
purpose  we  have  been,  as  a  Church,  seeking  to  follow  emigra- 
tion as  it  has  gone  westward,  and  to  give  to  the  border  popu- 
lations of  the  country  the  institutions  of  religion,  and  God  has 
aided  us  in  doing  it.  We  have  also  sought  most  earnestly  to 
meet,  with  our  religious  institutions  and  agencies,  the  immi- 
grant populations  that  have  come  from  the  Old  World  to  this. 
As  one  result  we  have  at  this  time  some  three  hundred  pas- 
tors, native  Germans,  preaching  to  their  countrymen  in  their 
native  language,  and  some  twenty-seven  thousand  communi- 
cants in  our  Church  who  are  natives  of  that  foreign  land.  We 
have  also  several  presiding  elders'  districts  among  the  Scan- 
dinavian population  that  has  come  to  this  country. 

I  say  here,  in  the  presence  of  these  eminent  statesmen, 
that  there  is  no  power  which  can  denationalize  this  immigrant 
population  that  is  coming  here,  and  assimilate  it  to  our  Amer- 
ican character  and  make  us  a  homogeneous  people,  but  the 
religion  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  truth  and  spirit  of  al- 
mighty God ;  and  in  this  divine  evangelism,  this  gospel  power, 
is  the  hope  of  our  country  as  well  as  the  redemption  of  our 
world.  And  we  must  see  to  it  that  all  the  peoples  of  this  coun- 
try have  these  institutions,  agencies,  fellowship,  and  sympathy 
displayed  to  them  as  they  come  among  us.  When  we  do  this. 


SOUTH  AND  WEST.  321 

with  God's  blessing  upon  us,  we  shall  succeed  in  the  two  pur- 
poses of  blessing  the  nation  and  saving  the  people. 

Again  it  was  the  lot  of  the  Bishop  to  meet  the 
South  Carolina  Conference,  which  held  its  session 
this  year,  Feb.  11-13,  1869,  at  Camden,  S.  C.  Thence 
he  writes  to  Mrs.  Janes : 

I  had  a  prosperous  journey,  and  reached  Washington  Tues- 
day A.  M.  ;  left  immediately,  and  reached  Wilmington,  N.  C., 
at  five  A.  M.  Wednesday.  Now  1  think  if  my  march  was  not 
as  wonderful  as  Sherman's  in  some  respects,  it  certainly  was 
more  rapid.  I  arrived  at  this  city  about  six  and  a  half  o'clock, 
tired  and  dusty,  not  having  washed  or  brushed  since  I  left 
home.  I  slept  well  last  night,  and  am  quite  naturalized  to- 
day. By  to-morrow  I  shall  be  thoroughly  reconstructed.  We 
had  a  very  interesting  session  of  Conference  this  morning.  The 
work  has  prospered  largely  during  the  year.  Our  Church  is 
rooted  and  grounded  in  South  Carolina.  God  is  with  the  peo- 
ple, and  our  cause  cannot  be  overthrown. 

In  March  he  met  the  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
Kansas  Conferences,  and  in  April  the  Nebraska 
Conference.  Writing  home  while  on  this  tour,  such 
expressions  as  those  which  follow  fell  from  his  pen. 
The  reference  to  the  completion  of  the  twenty-fifth 
year  of  his  episcopal  service  is  very  touching. 

Conference  commenced  pleasantly  yesterday.  Some  serious 
difficulties  to  be  adjusted  ;  anxieties,  of  course  ;  they  abide 
with  me  every-where  and  all  the  time — "  the  care  of  all  the 
Churches." 

Another  busy  week  before  me.  All  right !  Working  for 
God  and  his  Church  is  the  highest  privilege  in  this  world. 

Conference  times  are  seasons  of  hard  work  and  great  anx- 


322  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

iety.  The  Church  is  growing  in  this  section.  I  am  without 
anxiety  about  our  temporal  affairs.  I  have  left  them,  for  the 
present,  in  the  hands  of  my  heavenly  Father. 

The  telegraph  reports  the  death  of  Brother  James  Harper. 
A  sad  termination  to  a  long  and  useful  life.  I  am  very  thank- 
ful the  meetings  in  St.  Paul's  are  so  interesting  and  success- 
ful. I  pray  their  power  may  increase  and  extend.  This  is 
the  last  Conference  I  expect  to  preside  over  in  the  first  quarter 
of  a  century  of  my  episcopal  office.  Next  month  will  end  that 
quarter.  How  soon  it  has  passed  away  !  What  a  history  it 
has  made  !  What  events  have  occurred  in  Church  and  State 
in  that  period  !  Eventful  times,  indeed  !  I  have  in  that  time 
seen  much  of  the  goodness  of  God.  What  protection  !  What 
assistance  !  What  encouragement  !  What  manifestations  of 
his  love !  I  am  thankful.  A  few  years  more  must  end  my 
official  career.  I  hope  to  finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the 
ministry  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  June  following  the  Bishop 
chanced  to  be  at  home,  and  attended  the  devotional 
exercises  of  the  New  York  Preachers'  Meeting.  In 
response  to  an  invitation  he  briefly  addressed  the 
meeting,  saying  substantially  that  he  had  always 
found  pleasure  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  he 
preferred  the  pastoral  relation  to  any  position  in 
the  gift  of  the  Church.  He  mentioned,  also,  very 
affectingly,  that  on  this  day  he  had  reached  the 
twenty-fifth  year  of  the  office  he  was  then  filling. 
At  the  close  of  his  remarks  a  congratulatory  reso- 
lution was  offered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  (now  Bishop) 
Foss,  and  unanimously  passed  by  the  meeting. 

As  far  back  as  at  their  meeting  at  Erie,  Pa.,  in 
1865,  the  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


METHODIST  FRATERNIZATION.  323 

Church  took  initial  steps  looking  to  a  closer  union 
between  all  the  Methodist  bodies  of  the  country, 
especially  those  whose  separation  had  been  caused 
by  slavery.  The  General  Conference  of  1868  ap- 
pointed a  commission  of  eight  members  of  that 
body  and  the  Board  of  Bishops  to  promote  this 
object.  Accordingly  the  Bishops,  at  their  spring 
meeting  in  1869,  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Bishops 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  and  ap- 
pointed Bishops  Morris,  Janes,  and  Simpson  to 
bear  it.  In  May  Bishops  Janes  and  Simpson, 
Bishop  Morris  being  unable  to  accompany  them, 
went  to  St.  Louis,  where  the  Southern  Bishops 
were  in  session,  and  presented  the  letter.  Bishop 
Janes's  letter  to  Bishop  Clark,  from  St.  Louis,  May 
8,  will  explain  his  connection  with  the  matter : 

We  had  an  interview  with  the  Bishops  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  this  morning ;  were  courteously  re- 
ceived. After  a  little  social  conversation  we  presented  our 
letter  accrediting  us;  then,  Bishop  Morris's  letter  of  apology  for 
not  being  present ;  then  a  communication  stating  the  points  in 
the  text  presented  to  the  Board  at  Meadville.  They  were  all 
read.  Each  of  us  then  said  a  few  words,  stating  they  were 
not  official,  but  personal.  Bishop  Paine  replied  that  they  ap- 
preciated the  object  contemplated  in  our  communication  ;  Were 
glad  to  see  us  ;  they  would  consider  the  subject  and  forward 
a  reply.  We  then  had  prayer  together,  and  parted  in  a  very 
friendly  manner.  The  reply  will  be  sent  to  Bishop  Morris. 

The  Bishops  of  the  South  met  the  overtures  of 
our  Bishops  by  affirming  that  they  must  stand  by 
the  words  of  their  rejected  delegate,  Dr.  L.  Pierce, 


324  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

of  1848,  and  entered  their  objection  to  "  slavery  as 
the  cause  of  the  separation  "  between  the  two  great 
Methodist  bodies.  Nothing  was  appreciably  ac- 
complished by  the  interview  beyond  a  courteous, 
kindly  interchange  of  personal  good  feeling  ;  and 
yet  it  was  a  beginning,  however  slight,  of  a  closer 
approach  between  the  two  Churches.  In  view  of 
the  asperities  which  grew  out  of  the  war,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  more  was  not  effected.  There 
are  some  wounds  which  time  alone  can  heal.  As 
the  events  and  controversies  of  the  past  recede, 
and  the  men  who  participated  in  them  are  gathered 
to  their  fathers,  and  new  men  and  new  issues  arise, 
it  can  be  confidently  hoped  that  all  that  Bishop 
Janes  so  earnestly  desired  and  sought  will  come  of 
itself.  His  heart  yearned  for  it,  and  he  felt  it  to  be 
one  of  the  happiest  acts  of  his  life  to  be  the  first  to 
go  forth  with  the  olive  branch,  even  at  the  risk  of 
finding  no  solid  ground  for  his  feet. 

In  the  summer  and  autumn  his  Conferences  were 
the  Delaware,  East  Genesee,  North  Ohio,  Central 
Ohio,  and  Ohio.  From  the  sessions  of  these  he 
returned  wearied,  but  not  to  rest.  Some  claim  for 
special  service  was  ever  at  his  door. 

November  3  the  venerable  Dr.  Heman  Bangs 
died  at  New  Haven,  Conn. ;  and,  according  to  his 
request,  the  Bishop  delivered  the  address  at  his 
funeral,  which  was  "  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the  mem- 
ory "  of  a  strong  and  useful  minister. 


PRAYER  IN  U.  S.  SENATE.  325 

December  12-14  the  Bishop  participated  in  a 
missionary  anniversary  at  Boston,  Mass.  On  Sun- 
day evening  the  great  gathering  of  the  Meth- 
odists was  at  Music  Hall,  and  before  it  he  delivered 
one  of  the  addresses.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Warren, 
President  of  Boston  University,  writing  to  him  a 
few  days  afterward,  says : 

I  wanted  to  thank  you  for  your  splendid  missionary  speech 
Sunday  night,  but  being  in  a  distant  part  of  the  hall  it  was 
impracticable.  It  will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  Some  tell  our 
students  that,  after  all,  a  missionary  life  is  a  very  easy  and 
comfortable  calling,  that  they  need  not  fear  its  hardships,  etc. 
I  would  rather  have  them  go  out  expecting  to  be  scalped  and 
roasted,  or,  at  least,  prepared  to  be. 

The  Bishop  is  next  found  at  the  national  capital, 
possibly  on  some  errand  to  preach  the  Gospel,  or 
to  look  after  some  interest  of  missions  in  connec- 
tion with  one  of  the  departments.  Through  the 
courtesy  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  P.  Newman,  then 
chaplain  of  the  United  States  Senate,  he  was  in- 
vited to  offer  prayer  at  the  opening  of  the  session  of 
the  Senate,  December  16.  The  record  of  the  year 
may  be  appropriately  closed  with  the  insertion  of 
this  prayer : 

Most  gracious  and  most  glorious  God,  we  hallow  thy  name ; 
we  reverence  thy  majesty ;  we  acknowledge  t.hy  authority. 
Thou  art  God  over  all,  blessed  for  evermore,  and  we  worship 
thee.  We  desire  at  this  time  to  render  to  thee  our  praise  for 
our  being  and  for  our  well-being,  for  our  happiness  and  for 
our  hopes.  From  thee  cometh  every  good  and  every  perfect 


326  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

gift,  and  we  do  bless  thee  for  thy  many  and  great  mercies 
which  we  have  shared.  We  confess  ourselves  unworthy  of 
thy  regard,  for  we  have  sinned ;  we  have  strayed  from  thy 
ways ;  we  have  greatly  failed  to  meet  our  obligations  to  thee, 
our  Maker  and  Redeemer  and  God.  We  have  not  loved  thee 
and  worshiped  thee  and  served  thee  as  it  was  our  duty  to  have 
done.  Have  mercy  upon  us.  O,  for  Christ's  sake,  have  mer- 
cy upon  us  and  forgive  us  all  our  sins,  and  grant  to  us  the 
transformations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  we  may  be  made 
partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  be  restored  to  the  divine  fellow- 
ship, prepared  to  walk  with  God  on  earth,  and  qualified  to 
reign  with  thee  in  heaven. 

We  invoke  thy  blessing,  O  God,  upon  our  nation,  upon  the 
people  of  this  great  country,  all  classes  of  them,  all  conditions 
of  them.  We  invoke  thy  blessing  upon  the  authorities  of  the 
land.  Bless  thy  servant,  the  President  of  these  United  States. 
We  pray  that  his  life  and  health  may  be  continued,  and  that 
he  may  be  providentially  and  graciously  aided  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  authority  which  is  intrusted  to  him.  We  pray 
thee  to  bless  thy  servant  who  presides  over  this  branch  of  the 
legislative  department  of  the  government,  and  every  member 
of  this  Senate.  May  their  lives  and  health  be  precious  in  thy 
sight.  May  they  receive  favor  from  God,  and  be  guided  by 
thy  Spirit  in  such  a  manner  that  they  will  perform  their  official 
duties  here  in  accordance  with  thy  will,  and  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  this  nation.  And  in  their 
absence  we  pray  God  to  take  care  of  their  families.  Preserve 
them  from  disease  and  from  death  and  from  all  afflictions,  and 
grant  unto  them  all  the  temporal  and  spiritual  benefits  which 
are  needed  by  them. 

We  pray  God  to  bless  the  other  branch  of  this  legislative 
body.  Guide  them  by  thy  wisdom,  and  control  them  by  thy 
power,  and  bring  them  to  right  conclusions  upon  all  questions. 
We  entreat  thee  to  bless  the  judicial  department  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  all  who  are  in  authority.  May  our  public  affairs 
be  so  ordered  as  to  secure  the  intelligence  and  virtue  and 
religion  of  the  land,  to  preserve  and  perpetuate  our  institu- 


SOUTH  CAROLINA.  327 

tions,  and  to  make  our  example  as  a  nation  a  blessing  to  all 
the  kingdoms  of  the  earth. 

We  pray  God  to  hear  us  in  these  our  supplications  at  this 
time,  and  continue  to  each  one  of  us  thy  grace  and  mercy 
through  future  life,  and  when  we  shall  have  served  thee  in  our 
generation  upon  earth,  grant  to  us  a  peaceful  egress  from  the 
world,  and  an  abundant  entrance  into  thy  eternal  kingdom  and 
glory,  through  Hijn  who  has  taught  us,  in  our  devotions,  to 
say,  "  Our  Father,"  etc. 

In  January,  1870,  the  Southern  sea-board  Confer- 
ences were  again  assigned  to  Bishop  Janes.  He 
writes  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.-C.  E.  Harris,  from 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  January  18  : 

My  tour  so  far  has  been  decidedly  pleasant.  Flowers  are  in 
bloom  in  the  gardens.  Next  week  I  expect  to  see  figs  and 
oranges  and  lemons,  and  all  sorts  of  bloom.  Our  Church  is 
making  some  progress,  mostly  among  the  colored  people. 
Social  and  financial  improvements  are  very  slow.  Some  of  the 
people  do  not  know  how  to  do  any  thing  out  of  the  old  rut  of 
slavery.  Some  have  not  become  good-natured  enough  to  try 
to  do  any  thing.  I  spend  the  Sabbath  here,  and  expect  to 
preach  in  two  colored  churches.  One  of  the  congregations  is 
really  colored,  dyed  in  the  wool.  The  other  is  a  faded  congre- 
gation, all  shades  of  black  and  brown  and  yellow  and  white. 
They  are  pretty  intelligent.  Some  noble  men  and  women. 
Reconstruction  has  been  accomplished  in  this  State.  I  visited 
the  Legislature.  One  third  of  the  senators  and  two  thirds  of 
the  lower  house  are  colored  men.  It  was  a  novel  sight  to  see 
in  the  proud  Palmetto  State  such  a  mixed  body  of  men  filling 
the  legislative  halls. 

The  Bishop's  spring  Conferences  were  the  Wil- 
mington, Pittsburgh,  Wyoming,  and  New  York. 
But  the  cares  of  these  Conferences  were  the  least 


328  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

of  the  cares  which  oppressed  him  this  season. 
Death  was  abroad,  and  his  darts  fell  upon  some  of 
the  great  and  wise  men  of  the  Church — men  who 
were  the  Bishop's  chosen  friends  and  compeers. 
It  was  a  season  of  sorrow.  First  died  the  Rev. 
Dr.  John  M'Clintock,  President  of  Drew  Theolog- 
ical Seminary.  The  loss  of  no  prominent  minister 
since  the  death  of  Dr.  Olin  so  deeply  affected  him. 
Over  his  lifeless  form,  in  the  presence  of  a  dense 
and  weeping  multitude,  he  said  : 

God  has  smitten,  and  his  stroke  is  heavy  upon  us.  O  how 
heavy !  Gracious  Parent,  sustain  us  under  it.  ...  How  we 
loved  him — how  worthy  he  was  of  our  love !  How  we  trusted 
him,  and  how  true  he  was  to  our  confidence !  So  ready  to 
sympathize,  so  wise  to  counsel,  so  willing  to  help,  so  chari- 
table to  our  faults,  so  loving,  and  so  loved. 

To  the  death  of  this  great  preacher  and  scholar 
quickly  succeeded  that  of  Mr.  William  W.  Cornell, 
one  of  the  choicest  and  most  benevolent  laymen  of 
New  York  city.  To  him,  also,  the  Bishop  was 
strongly  attached.  He  had  scarcely  recovered  from 
these  strokes  ere  the  telegraph  bore  the  news 
"  Bishop  Thomson  is  dead,"  and  "  Bishop  Kings- 
ley  is  dead."  Both  had  fallen  at  their  posts. 
Bishop  Thomson  died  of  typhoid  pneumonia,  in 
the  city  of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  on  March  22,  after 
only  a  few  days'  illness ;  and  Bishop  Kingsley  died 
suddenly  of  heart  disease,  at  Beyroot,  Syria,  on 
April  6.  Great  as  this  blow  was  to  the  Church, 


THE  EMINENT  DEAD.  329 

it  was  even  heavier  for  the  surviving  Bishops. 
Bishop  Janes's  personal  grief  at  the  loss  of  his 
younger  colleagues  was  very  acute  ;  and  their  death 
added,  in  connection  with  the  protracted  illness  of 
Bishop  Baker  and  the  extreme  feebleness  of  Bish- 
op Morris,  greatly  to  his  official  labors.  The  pain-1 
ful  and  consuming  cares  of  1850-52  were  now  re- 
peated and  even  intensified.  Such  was  the  un- 
'wisdom  of  the  General  Conference  in  not  re-enforc- 
ing the  ranks  of  the  Episcopacy,  but  keeping  it 
down  to  the  minimum  working  capacity. 

Bishop  Janes  to  Bishop  Morris,  Wilkesbarre, 
Pa.,  April  14: 

How  greatly  God  has  afflicted  us !  Our  two  youngest,  and, 
perhaps,  most  cherished  colleagues  have  been  taken  from  us 
so  suddenly,  so  unexpectedly,  so  mysteriously !  "  It  is  the 
Lord,  let  him  do  what  seemeth  him  right." 

A  letter  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Harris,  about 
the  same  date,  better  shows  his  personal  feelings : 

O  what  scenes  and  experiences  I  have  passed  through  since 
we  parted  !  If  I  were  to  measure  the  period  by  its  events, 
excitements,  and  duties,  it  would  be  a  full  year.  Rarely  do  so 
many  important  events  and  deep  experiences  occur  in  the  life  of 
even  a  public  man  in  a  year.  The  death  of  my  own  dear  sis- 
ter, of  my  cherished  friend  Dr.  M'Clintock,  of  my  very  valuable 
friend  W.  W.  Cornell,  of  my  two  dear  colleagues,  Bishops  Thom- 
son and  Kingsley,  the  youngest  and  most  hopeful  of  our  Board. 
Beloved  colleagues  !  dying  so  suddenly,  so  mysteriously,  away 
from  their  families  !  O  it  is  very,  very  sad.  I  feel  this  loss 
most  deeply.  Then,  in  these  few  weeks  I  have  presided  in 
six  Annual  Conferences,  stationing  about  a  thousand  ministers, 


33Q  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

preaching,  and  dedicating  churches,  etc.  They  have  been  won- 
derful weeks  !  Excessive  labors  and  frequent  colds  taken  in 
my  night  travels  very  much  impaired  my  health.  For  about 
ten  days  I  was  really  ill.  But  I  am  quite  recuperated  again. 
My  cough  has  not  entirely  left  me,  but  I  am  able  to  sleep  quite 
well  at  nights.  I  expect  to  come  home  from  this  Conference 
quite  restored.  Yet  we  have  been  impressively  taught  that  life 
and  health  and  all  sublunary  things  are  very  uncertain. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  to  the  Bishop, 
from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Punshon,  dated  at  Toronto, 
C.  W.,  April  28,  on  the  death  of  Dr.  M'Clintock  and 
Bishops  Thomson  and  Kingsley,  is  a  noble  tribute  : 

I  have  very  profoundly  sympathized  with  the  great  losses 
which  your  Church  has  recently  been  called,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  to  sustain,  in  the  deaths  of  administrators  so  wise, 
scholars  so  ripe,  and  preachers  of  the  truth  so  eminent,  as 
Dr.  M'Clintock  and  Bishop  Thomson  and  Bishop  Kingsley. 
The  ways  of  God  are  surely  past  finding  out,  and  we  must 
wait  for  the  solution  of  the  mystery  until  the  stone  is  rolled 
away  from  the  mouth  of  every  sepulcher. 


LETTERS  TO  MRS.  JANES.  331 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

1870-1871. 

Letters  to  absent  members  of  his  family — The  routine  of  Conferences 
— Third  visit  to  the  Pacific — Conferences  in  the  South-west. 

CURING  the  summer  of  this  year  the  members 
£— '  of  the  Bishop's  family  were  separated.  Miss 
Lizzie  Janes  accompanied  Mrs.  Ridgaway  and  my- 
self to  Europe,  and  Mrs.  Janes  availed  herself  of 
the  opportunity  to  visit  Mrs.  Luqueer,  at  Pitts- 
field,  Massachusetts,  and  also  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry 
J.  Baker,  at  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y.,  while  the  Bishop, 
as  usual,  was  passing  hither  and  thither  through 
the  land. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  New  York,  July  13  : 

Good  morning  to  my  beloved  bride.  Our  honeymoon  is 
still  waxing,  so  I  conclude  your  bridal  days  are  not  over.  I 
believe  we  agreed  to  make  the  journey  of  life  our  bridal  tour, 
so  it  is  not  ended  yet.  True,  we  have  each  of  us  traveled  much 
of  the  time  by  ourselves,  but  still  we  have  met  now  and  then, 
and  the  luxury  has  so  delighted  us  that  we  could  go  in  the 
strength  of  it  many  days.  I  have  never  been  in  solitude  since 
I  was  married.  If  my  bride  was  not  by  my  side  she  was  in 
my  heart.  If  I  could  not  speak  to  her  I  could  think  of  her.  If 
I  could  not  pray  with  her  I  could  pray  for  her.  As  we  have 
gone  up  the  hill  of  life  in  sweet  sympathy,  so  we  will  go  down 
the  hill,  if  not  hand  in  hand,  heart  in  heart. 


332  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Middletown,  Conn.,  July  19: 

I  went  last  evening  to  hear  Senator  Willey's  oration.  A 
grand  one  it  was !  I  went  not  as  a  matter  of  pleasure,  but  as 
a  matter  of  duty ;  yet  it  became  pleasant  duty.  ...  I  have 
been  in  the  chair  all  day,  and  weary  enough ;  still  I  must  go 
to  hear  an  oration  to-night.  I  judge  the  college  has  been 
prospering  this  year.  A  fine  class  will  graduate. 

The  Bishop  scarcely  ever  failed  to  attend  the 
commencements  at  Middletown.  The  commence- 
ment this  year  was  one  of  much  rejoicing  among 
the  friends  of  the  institution.  On  the  occasion  Bish- 
op Janes  addressed  them  in  words  of  encouragement 
and  cheer.  "  The  president,"  he  said,  "  had  alluded 
to  the  fact  that  he  (the  Bishop)  was  an  old  man. 
Physically  speaking,  that  was  so  ;  but  his  feelings 
were  as  young  as  ever.  Still,  he  was  apprised  that 
his  day  of  active  service  was  already  in  the  evening 
time,  and  as  its  close  approached  he  looked  with 
increasing  interest  upon  every  thing  that  related  to 
human  destiny.  The  subject  came  up  before  him 
with  a  solemnity,  a  sublimity,  and  an  interest  which 
he  did  not  perceive  in  it  years  ago.  He  was  sure 
if  he  had  seen  it  in  that  light  when  in  youth,  he 
would  have  been  more  given  up  to  the  one  great 
service  of  benefiting  his  generation  and  glorifying 
God.  It  would  not  be  egotistic  in  him  to  say  that 
there  was  no  man  who  had  seen  so  much  of  the 
fruits  of  the  Wesleyan  University  as  he  had.  He 
remembered  well  its  organization,  and  was  pretty 


WESLEY  AN  UNIVERSITY.  333 

well  acquainted  with  its  history.  His  duties  re- 
quired him  to  traverse  the  entire  country,  and  wher- 
ever he  went  he  met  some  one  whb  had  been  con- 
nected with  the  institution,  whose  education  and 
character  qualified  him  for  usefulness  in  the  Church, 
and  usefulness  in  whatever  sphere  he  was  called  to 
act.  At  the  present  time  the  great  educational 
work  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  more 
in  the  hands  of  the  graduates  of  that  university  than 
of.  any  other.  There  were  more  of  the  associates 
of  those  whom  he  addressed  at  the  head  of  insti- 
tutions of  learning,  professors  in  them,  than  were 
furnished  by  any  other  of  our  institutions.  This 
was  more  especially  true  of  the  theological  in- 
stitutions, the  majority  of  whose  teachers  were 
graduates  of  Wesleyan  University.  What  a 
great  moral  power  and  religious  agency  was  this ! 
He  expected  that  the  young  men  educated  by 
those  teachers  would  soon  reach  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  for  he  believed  that  God  was  in  earnest  to 
convert  the  world.  Hinderances  and  embarrass- 
ments would  come  up,  but  God  intended  to  make 
them  all  subserve  the  great  result  of  the  evangeli- 
zation of  the  world ;  and  this  institution  was  an 
efficient  agency  in  bringing  about  that  most  blessed 
result." 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  while  visiting  at  Pittsfield,  Mass. : 

I  have  just  returned  from  New  Jersey.     I  yesterday  attended 

the  temperance  mass  meeting  at  Denville  camp-ground.    The 
15 


334  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

morning  was  cloudy  and  threatened  rain  ;  still  there  was  a  gath- 
ering of  several  thousands.  Six  speeches,  and  then  your  hus- 
band was  called  to  the  stand.  A  late  hour  and  wearied  au- 
dience ;  still  they  stayed  and  listened  and  cheered,  and  we  had 
an  interesting  forty  minutes.  Neal  Dow  spoke  for  one  hour 
and  thirty-five  minutes.  A  good  speech,  and  a  good  deal  of  it. 
The  speeches  were  all  good,  not  excepting  my  own.  There  ! 
is  not  that  a  fine  specimen  of  egotism  ?  Well,  I  really  think 
it ;  and  if  you  and  I  are  one,  why  should  you  not  think  it  too  ? 
It  was  a  plain,  honest,  earnest  talk  on  the  great  subject  of 
temperance.  I  was  glad  to  be  able  to  telegraph  you  of  Lizzie's 
safe  arrival  at  Liverpool.  I  had  been  a  little  anxious  for  two 
days. 

I  spent  last  night  with  our  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker,  at 
Sing  Sing.  I  was  anxious  about  him,  so  I  went  up  last  even- 
ing. He  has  been  sick,  but  is  improving.  He  is  meet  for  the 
inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light.  I  start  in  a  few  minutes  for 
Newark,  where,  you  know,  I  spend  the  Sabbath. 

I  inclose  a  newspaper  report  of  the  commencement  at  Mid- 
dletown,  that  you  may  learn  how  the  occasion  passed,  and  also 
see  how  absurdly  they  can  write  about  your  husband.  It  may 
amuse  you  a  little. 

I  spent  yesterday  at  Mianus ;  dedicated  their  beautiful 
church  ;  ordained  one  of  the  missionaries  who  sails  for  India 
on  Wednesday.  I  am  trying  to  get  my  correspondence 
straightened  out.  I  wrote  all  day  on  Saturday,  and  am  doing 
so  to-day.  I  have  over  seventy  yet  to  answer. 

You  have  not  been  from  home  so  long  since  we  were  mar- 
ried. It  must  seem  strange  to  you.  Well,  I  have  no  doubt  it 
would  be  a  sore  trial  if — yes,  if — if  you  were  not  among  angels. 
Cannot  be  unsatisfied  in  their  society.  Now,  after  all  my 
sympathy,  perhaps  you  have  gotten  so  weaned  from  us,  and 
so  fascinated  with  your  new  home  characters,  that  you  will  not 
be  willing  to  come  back.  Who  knows  ?  What  shall  I  do  in 
such  a  case  ?  It  would  be  an  ugly  thing  to  send  a  constable 
to  bring  the  household  god.  And  then  you  are  out  of  the 
State.  I  should  have  to  apply  to  the  governor  of  New  York 


THE  REV.  THOMAS  SEWALL,  D.D.        335 

for  a  requisition  on  the  governor  of  Massachusetts.  O  what 
a  fuss  !  Well,  I  will  not  borrow  trouble.  I  apprehend  busi- 
ness will  allow  me  to  try  my  luck  the  last  of  this  week  or  the 
first  of  next,  and  see  if  I  can  get  you  home  again.  Excuse  this 
nonsense. 

To  his  daughter  Miss  Janes,  while  in  Europe : 

How  I  wish  I  knew  where  you  are,  and  how  you  are.  I 
suppose  you  have  sniffed  the  air  of  old  Ireland  before  this.  I 
presume  you  were  much  surprised  on  reaching  England  to  find 
a  state  of  war  on  the  Continent.  It  is  a  very  sudden,  and,  I 
fear,  a  very  disastrous  war.  .  .  .  Learn  all  you  can  of  the 
world  ;  make  the  acquaintance  of  all  the  good  people  you  can  ; 
fill  your  memory  with  lovely  visions. 

We  sent  you  in  our  last  letter  the  notice  of  the  death  of  Mr. 
George  T.  Cobb  and  Mr.  Theodore  Stout.  Yesterday  I  at- 
tended the  funeral  of  Mr.  Stout.  I  am  pleased  you  met  Dr. 
Robinson  Scott.  I  am  delighted  Bishop  Simpson  made  so 
good  an  impression  at  the  Wesleyan  Conference. 

I  go  to  Sing  Sing  to-morrow  to  preach  at  the  camp-meeting. 
I  also  expect  to  preach  at  the  Morristown  camp-meeting  on 
Friday.  I  keep  pretty  well.  My  hard  work  and  sympathy  with 
the  sick  and  bereaved  have  been  rather  trying  to  my  strength. 

The  Church  was  called  upon  in  this  month  to 
give  up  another  one  of  its  choice  ministers — the 
Rev.  Thomas  Sewall,  D.  D.,  died  in  Baltimore,  on 
August  n.  No  one  in  all  Methodism  more  high- 
ly estimated  this  polished  and  eloquent  man  than 
Bishop  Janes.  He  is  found  under  the  pressure  of 
the  arduous  summer  turning  aside  to  write  to  his 
friend,  then  in  the  extremity  of  the  last  conflict. 
The  letter  reached  the  dying  saint  just  before  the 
angels  bore  his  victorious  spirit  home : 


336  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Yesterday  I  saw  Rev.  Brother  Buckley,  who  informed  me 
you  were  very  feeble,  and,  perhaps,  growing  weaker.  I  wish  I 
could  come  and  see  you.  O  how  much  I  wish  to  greet  you 
once  more  in  the  flesh  !  I  do  most  affectionately  salute  you  in 
the  Lord.  The  great  affliction  I  feel  at  the  prospect  of  not 
seeing  you  again  in  this  world  shows  me  how  greatly  I  love 
you.  I  should  feel  very  sad  did  I  not  turn  my  attention  to 
your  beatitude — to  your  glorification.  O,  how  much  better  to 
depart  and  be  with  Christ ! 

When  Brother  Buckley  told  me  of  your  prostration,  my 
first  thought  was,  Is  he  to  be  gathered  with  M'Clintock 
and  Foss  and  Nadal  and  Kingsley  and  Thomson?  What 
a  select  circle  of  noble  spirits  !  So  like  each  other,  and  so 
associated  on  earth  as  to  seek  each  other  in  heaven.  To  be 
one  of  that  circle  will  be  blessed  indeed.  O  how  rapturously 
they  will  hail  you  on  your  approach !  How  tender  and  con- 
gratulatory will  be  their  greeting  !  You  will  not  be  a  stranger 
in  heaven.  There  are  many  there  whom  you  will  recognize 
when  you  meet  them.  Jesus  will  recognize  you,  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  instantly  distinguish  him.  How  I  wish  I  could 
see  you  enter  the  golden  gates,  and  witness  your  first  sight  of 
"  Him,  as  he  is."  I  fancy  I  have  a  pretty  clear  idea  of  how  you 
and  M'Clintock  and  Nadal*  will  act  on  your  first  interview. 
I  think  you  will  all  want  to  speak  first.  Possibly  you  may  all 
shout  together.  Then,  too,  that  excellent,  godly  father — I  know 
how  much  you  loved  him.  I  know  how  eminently  worthy  of 
your  love  he  was.  How  you  will  delight  to  be  again  in  his 
company.  Verily,  you  have  a  great  amount  and  a  great  vari- 
ety of  treasure  in  heaven.  I  know  you  loved  to  preach  Christ 
when  you  had  health  and  could  do  so.  I  know  it  is  a  trial  to 
lay  down  that  silver  trumpet.  I  know,  too,  it  is  a  severe  trial 
to  leave  your  beloved  wife  and  little  ones.  You  are  not  re- 
sponsible for  these  consequences.  You  have  not  decided  the 
question  of  life  or  death.  God  has  done  that.  He  will  look  to 

*The  Rev.  B.  H.  Nadal,  D.D., Professor  in  Drew  Theological  Sem- 
inary, who  died  June  20,  1870. 


WESTERN  CONFERENCES.  337 

the  consequences.  He  will  carry  forward  his  work.  He  will  be 
a  husband  to  your  widow,  and  a  father  to  your  children.  How 
do  you  know  but  that  you  can  minister  to  them  as  kindly  and 
as  usefully  out  of  the  body  as  you  can  in  the  body?  If  God 
calls  you  to  himself,  without  anxiety  leave  your  loved  ones  to 
him.  Confide  all  their  welfare  to  him.  He  will  care  for  them. 
I  am  coming  after  you.  I  am  determined  to  keep  the  faith 
and  lay  hold  on  eternal  life.  I  shall  want  to  see  you  very  soon 
after  I  get  there. 

I  commend  you  to  the  love  of  God,  to  the  mediation  of  Jesus, 
and  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  With  much  love  for  your 
family,  and  much  prayer  for  yourself,  I  am  your  affectionate 
brother  in  Jesus. 

The  Bishop's  fall  Conferences  began  with  the 
Cincinnati,  August  24,  and  concluded  with  the 
Rock  River,  October  n. 

From  Piqua,  Ohio,  to  Mrs.  Janes,  August  24: 

•  In  thirty-eight  hours  and  forty-eight  minutes  after  I  left  you 
I  reached  my  lodgings  here.  The  journey  was  very  dusty  and 
warm.  I  hope  you  reached  your  second  heaven  in  great 
comfort.  107  East  Twenty-fourth-street*  is  the  first  heaven, 
Brother  Baker's  is  the  second  heaven,  and  Paradise  the  third. 
Well,  we  have  shared  the  two  first,  we  must  see  to  it  that  we 
shall  share  the  last  together.  We  cannot  afford  to  come  short 
of  that. 

I  hope  our  dear  friends,  Brother  and  Sister  Baker,  are  com- 
fortable in  their  health.  I  see  nothing  else  to  detract  from 
their  felicity.  Their  resources  of  happiness  are  so  varied  and 
rich  I  expect  the  good  Lord  saw  it  necessary  to  give  them  a 
thorn  in  the  flesh.  So  happy  in  their  circumstances  and 
friends  and  each  other,  perhaps  they  needed  something  as  a 

remembrancer  of  their  mortality.    After  all,  a  thorn  in  the  flesh 

*  The  residence  of  the  Bishop  in  New  York  city. 


338  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

is  not  a  very  grievous  thing.  We  can  bear  the  pain  of  the 
body,  but  "a  wounded  spirit  who  can  bear?"  If  the  balm  of 
Gilead  makes  our  souls  whole — if  we  share  the  nature  and 
partake  the  joy  of  the  Lord — all  is  well.  That  is  the  supreme 
good,  the  highest  attainment. 

...  I  have  several  times,  when  sailing  on  the  ocean,  seen  a 
little  bird  which  had  been  driven  out  to  sea  by  the  storm, 
light  on  the  vessel  panting  for  breath,  all  exhausted,  and  just 
ready  to  perish.  Poor  little  spent  thing !  it  could  not  sing  to 
please  an  angel.  It  could  only  put  its  head  under  its  wing 
and  say,  "Let  me  be  quiet."  O!  how  often  has  my  condi- 
tion been  similar.  Fatigued  with  labor,  wearied  with  travel, 
oppressed  with  cares,  teased  by  dissatisfied  preachers  and 
Churches,  perplexed  with  questions  of  administration  day  after 
day  and  week  after  week,  until,  all  exhausted,  hardly  alive,  I 
reach  the  ship  of  love  called  home,  and  every  part  of  my  body 
and  every  faculty  of  my  soul  says,  "  O,  let  me  rest — rest ! 
Don't  disturb  me — let  me  rest ! "  How  sweet  is  home  then  ! 
Quiet  home  !  To  please  a  friend — no,  not  to  please  a  wife — 
can  I  sing  or  even  talk. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa,  Sept.  9 : 

God's  blessing  is  upon  me  this  morning ;  I  am  comfortable 
in  body  and  serene  in  spirit.  Conference  is  progressing  pleas- 
antly and  I  think  profitably.  The  weather  is  now  pleasant. 
We  have  had  two  terrible  thunder  showers.  During  the  first  a 
Methodist  church  in  this  vicinity  was  blown  into  widely  scat- 
tered fragments.  Several  dwellings  also  were  demolished. 
The  prairie  storms  are  wild  and  grand  and  awful.  I  desire  to 
be  spared  the  sight  of  a  first-class  storm  at  sea  and  a  first-class 
storm  on  the  prairies.  They  are  both  sublimely  awful  scenes. 

...  I  trust  we  shall  spend  our  eternity  together.  Stop. 
Possibly  our  blessed  Lord  may  have  some  mission  on  which  to 
employ  us  then.  If  so,  I  am  sure  we  shall  respond,  "  Here  am 
I,  send  me."  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  one  element  of  our  heav- 
enly felicity  will  be  found  in  our  employments.  These  capabil- 


CHRISTIAN  HOLINESS.  339 

ities  of  ours,  restored  and  perfected,  will  be  employed  in  some 
service  worthy  of  their  highest  exercise,  and  which  will  afford 
the  purest  pleasure.  The  rest  of  heaven  will  not  be  found  in 
sleep.  It  will  be  found  in  exemption  from  all  annoyance,  and 
in  adequate  power  to  sustain  the  vision  of  God  and  all  the  fru- 
ition of  the  spiritual  world.  Nothing  will  exhaust  our  power, 
but  every  thing  increase  our  strength  and  energy.  To  work 
without  weariness — will  not  that  be  blessed  !  To  worship 
without  fatigue — O,  how  glorious !  To  be  with  God  uninter- 
ruptedly and  eternally — how  infinite  and  exalted  the  bliss ! 
"  Forever  with  the  Lord."  That  is  my  heaven. 

At  the  session  of  the  Upper  Iowa  Conference  the 
Bishop  preached  a  sermon  on  Christian  holiness 
which  was  afterward  fully  reported.  I  give  an  ex- 
tract, which  shows  how  clearly  he  recognizes  this 
doctrine  as  taught  and  maintained  by  Methodism  : 

Another  element  of  Bible  holiness  is  spiritual  power — an 
appreciable  measure  of  which  we  felt  when  we  repented  of 
our  sins  and  received  pardon.  This  power  raises  one  to  a 
higher  plane  than  the  one  on  which  we  stood  in  justification. 
Being  cleansed  in  the  flesh  and  in  the  spirit  takes  away  all  the 
friction  of  the  soul.  It  moves  in  its  sphere  smoothly  and  har- 
moniously, just  as  a  piece  of  machinery  which  is  perfect  in  its 
construction  does  its  work  in  a  quiet  and  satisfactory  manner. 
The  source  of  this  power  is  found  in  the  devotion  of  that 
whole  being  of  which  we  have  already  spoken. 

...  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  in  this  new  experience,  this 
holy  change,  your  experience  will  be  more  rapturous  than 
when  God  first  converted  you ;  but  you  will  have  a  peace  that 
is  deeper  and  more  constant  than  you  had  before.  I  do  say 
that  you  will  have  a  serenity  of  spirit  that  you  had  not  be- 
fore, and  could  not  have.  You  will  have  a  truer  conception  of 
God.  You  will  taste  more  of  the  power  of  the  world  of  happi- 
ness to  come.  You  will  have  more  of  the  spirit  of  the  eter- 


340         -LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

nal,  of  the  divine,  glory,  than  you  found  in  your  lower  relig- 
ious experience  and  life,  and  this  joy  of  the  heart  will  be  in- 
creased in  proportion  to  your  strength — it  will  grow  more  and 
more. 

The  year  1871  is  memorable  as  being  fraught,  if 
possible,  with  more  constant,  responsible,  and  cer- 
tainly more  extended  labors  than  the  year  1851. 
His  travels  reached  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  from  New  Hampshire  to  Texas.  The 
sessions  of  seventy  Conferences  devolved  upon  four 
effective  Bishops !  In  the  spring  Bishop  Janes  pre- 
sided in  the  Baltimore,  Central  Pennsylvania,  New 
Jersey,  Providence,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont, 
East  German,  and  Black  River  Conferences,  eight 
in  about  as  many  weeks.  Yet  from  the  sessions  of 
all  these  he  found  time  to  send  cheery  letters  to 
the  family  circle.  I  can  give  an  extract  only  here 
and  there. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Carlisle,  Pa. : 

I  adjourned  the  Baltimore  Conference  a  quarter  before 
twelve  o'clock  to-day.  Immediately  took  cars  for  this  place, 
and  arrived  safely  this  evening,  though  a  good  deal  fatigued. 
From  five  o'clock  Monday  morning  until  two  o'clock  Tuesday 
morning  I  was  intensely  engaged.  Then,  from  six  this  morn- 
ing until  this  present  time,  I  have  had  no  rest.  I  am  expecting 
a  good  sleep  to-night,  and  to  be  bright  in  the  morning.  The 
public  attendance  upon  the  Conference  at  Baltimore  was  enthu- 
siastic. Ladies,  by  scores,  stood  in  the  aisles  four  to  five  hours 
at  a  time — the  house  in  every  part  of  it  filled  to  the  utmost. 

I  hope  you  and  Lizzie  are  both  as  bright  as  angels,  and  as 
happy.  Why  not  ?  Do  you  not  belong  to  the  family  of  God  ? 


SIXTY-FOUR  YEARS  OF  AGE.  341 

So  do  the  angels.  They  are  in  the  upper  room  and  you  in 
the  lower  one.  But  the  Lord  is  in  both  rooms.  Perhaps  the 
upper  room  is  a  little  more  richly  furnished,  and  there  may  be 
more  of  the  family  there ;  they  have  no  imperfections  or  suf- 
ferings ;  but  we  belong  to  the  same  family,  and  are  soon  going 
to  see  and  enjoy  their  beatitudes. 

This,  you  know,  is  my  birthday.  Sixty-four  years  old  to-day. 
Sixty-four  years  of  varied  and  deep  experiences — years  of  ac- 
tivity. My  boyhood  was  spent  in  work  ;  my  manhood  has 
been  spent  in  labor,  responsible,  difficult,  anxious  labor.  I 
have  been  the  recipient  of  many  great  mercies  from  God,  and 
many  favors  from  men.  My  family  are  endeared  to  me  by 
thousands  of  kindnesses.  I  am  grateful  for  them  all. 

To  Miss  Janes,  on  her  birthday : 

I  congratulate  you  that  you  have  been  preserved  to  see  an- 
other anniversary  of  this  great  event.  To  me  it  was  a  great 
event,  full  of  interest,  filling  my  heart  with  joy,  and  giving  my 
paternal  love  a  new  pet  to  cherish  and  an  additional  child  to 
train  up  for  usefulness,  for  heaven,  and  for  God.  I  have  often 
tried  to  realize  somewhat  the  vastness  of  the  consequences  to 
follow  the  birth  of  a  human  being.  An  interminable  existence 
— eternal  happiness  or  eternal  misery.  Who  can  appreciate 
these  interests  ?  How  wonderful  the  event  that  ushers  a 
rational  being  upon  an  endless  career  of  life,  of  duty,  of  ex- 
periences ! 

To  his  little  grandson,  Charles  E.  Harris,  from 
Norwich,  Conn.,  March  23  : 

How  I  wish  I  knew  how  my  darling  little  missionary  is  to- 
night !  I  am  so  sorry  to  learn  he  has  been  sick  !  I  hope  he 
is  getting  better  very  fast.  My  time  was  so  short,  and  I  was 
so  tired,  I  could  not  go  to  visit  him  when  in  New  York.  I 
hope  to  be  able  to  take  a  peep  at  him  next  week.  ...  If  I 

were  with  you  I  would  try  and  tell  you  a  story.     I  will  tell  you 
15* 


342  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

a  few  things  about  this  place.  It  is  a  city  of  some  seventeen 
or  eighteen  thousand  people.  It  is  the  residence  of  ex-Gov- 
ernor Buckingham.  The  wicked  traitor,  Benedict  Arnold,  was 
born  here.  Mamma  will  tell  you  about  him.  This  place  used 
to  be  the  head-quarters  of  two  Indian  tribes,  the  Narraganset 
and  the  Mohegans.  Each  had  a  celebrated  chief.  One  was 
called  Uncas,  the  other  Miantinoma.  Uncas  killed  Mianti- 
noma  with  a  tomahawk  after  taking  him  prisoner.  They  each 
have  a  monument  in  this  neighborhood.  It  is  now  so  late, 
and  my  eyes  ache  so  bad,  I  believe  I  must  kiss  you  good-night. 

To  Miss  Janes,  from  the  German  Conference  at 
Poughkeepsie,  March  31  : 

I  am  enjoying  the  Conference.  Business  is  proceeding  pleas- 
antly and  rapidly.  I  like  to  hear  the  brethren  express  them- 
selves in  earnest  broken  English.  I  enjoy  their  singing  very 
highly.  They  turn  their  faces  upward,  and  open  their  mouths 
wide,  and  give  a  full,  grand  volume  of  sacred  music.  Mr. 
Wesley  would  say  they  sing  lustily.  I  enjoy  it  greatly.  You 
know  I  have  not  a  cultivated  musical  taste.  I  like  the  noise 
and  unction.  Earnest  devotional  singing  is  what  takes  hold 
of  my  heart.  These  Germans  sing  after  that  manner.  They 
report  considerable  progress  in  Church  interests. 

I  have  received  from  the  Rev.  D.  E.  Miller,  of 
Vermont,  some  account  of  the  address  of  Bishop 
Janes  to  the  candidates  for  ordination  at  the  Ver- 
mont Conference  this  spring : 

He  was  trying  to  impress  upon  them  the  importance  of  re- 
lying on  divine  aid  for  success  rather  than  on  human  help, 
and  in  his  own  inimitable  way  he  exclaimed,  "  Send  off  for  an 
evangelist !  No,  send  up  to  Heaven,  and  get  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  come  and  help  you  ! "  The  effect  was  most  thrilling,  and 
will  never  be  forgotten. 


DEATH  OF  BISHOP  CLARK.  343 

On  May  14  the  Bishop  preached  at  the  dedication 
of  the  new  and  beautiful  St.  James's  Church,  located 
at  Harlem,  New  York  city.  Within  a  few  days  he 
hastened  to  the  bedside  of  Bishop  Clark,  at  Cincin- 
nati, and  was  present  with  him  in  the  closing  hours 
of  his  life,  on  the  23d  of  this  month.  He  remained 
and  delivered  an  address  at  the  funeral  services. 
Among  other  fitting  things,  he  said  : 

The  death  of  Bishop  Clark  is  a  loss  to  the  world  and  the 
Church.  He  was  a  true  philanthropist.  He  desired  and 
sought  the  welfare  of  the  race.  His  efforts  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  society  were  put  forth  mainly  in  connection  with  the 
agencies  of  his  Church.  His  holy  life  was  a  blessing  to  the 
community.  His  prayers  and  intercessions  were  fibers  in  the 
cord  with  which  Christ  is  drawing  all  men  unto  himself.  His 
ministry  was  one  of  sympathy,  of  instruction,  and  of  power. 

A  brief  word  from  Mrs.  Bishop  Clark  will  show 
the  high  estimate  in  which  she  held  his  visit  to  her 
dying  husband : 

I  shall  always  be  thankful,  dear  Bishop,  that  you  have  been 
with  us  in  this  season  of  deep  sorrow,  especially  that  you  were 
with  my  dear  husband  during  that  last  hour.  I  never  shall 
forget  your  prayer.  Its  influence  has  been  with  us  every  mo- 
ment since. 

In  the  midst  of  this  summer  what  was  known  as 
the  "Book  Concern"  trouble"  reached  an  issue 
which  involved  the  official  action  of  Bishop  Janes. 
A  trial  was  had  before  the  Book  Committee  and 
Bishops  Ames  and  Janes,  looking  to  the  suspension 
of  the  Rev.  John  Lanahan,  D.D.,  the  Assistant 


344  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Book  Agent  at  New  York,  for  alleged  misconduct 
in  his  office,  particularly  in  applying  to  the  civil 
courts  for  a  mandamus  giving  him  possession  of,  or 
access  to,  the  account  books  of  the  Concern.  A 
majority  of  the  committee  voted  to  suspend  him, 
but  it  was  necessary,  in  order  to  effect  the  suspen- 
sion, that  the  two  Bishops  should  concur.  Bishop 
Janes  voted  to  concur,  and  Bishop  Ames  to  non- 
concur. The  measure,  therefore,  failed,  and  Dr. 
Lanahan  remained  in  his  position  until  the  ensuing 
General  Conference,  when  all  the  Book  Concern 
matters  involved  were  investigated  by  a  General 
Conference  committee,  composed  of  ministers  and 
laymen.  The  findings  of  this  committee  were  gen- 
erally satisfactory  to  the  public,  and  gave  quiet  to 
the  Church  on  the  subject. 

It  again  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  Bishop  to  visit  offi- 
cially the  Pacific  coast.  He  was  accompanied  by 
his  daughter,  Miss  Lizzie  Janes,  and  this  time 
crossed  the  continent  on  rail,  in  marked  contrast 
with  his  last  stage  ride.  He  held  successively  the 
Colorado,  Nevada,  Oregon,  and  California  Confer- 
ences. 

From  Denver,  Colorado,  to  Mrs.  Janes,  July  21 : 

We  reached  this  city  on  Wednesday  evening,  having  had  a 
prosperous  journey  by  the  will  of  God.  We  are  both  in  as 
good  health  as  when  we  left  our  sweet  home  in  New  York, 
some  two  thousand  miles  distant.  We  are  the  guests  of  Gov- 
ernor Evans.  I  wish  you  could  have  come  with  us.  I  should 


THIRD  VISIT  TO  THE  PACIFIC  COAST.     34$ 

have  insisted  upon  it  if  your  health  would  have  allowed  you  to 
enjoy  such  a  journey.  I  am  sure  you  would  feel  an  enthusiastic 
pleasure  in  beholding  the  wonderful  works  of  nature  which 
meet  our  vision  on  every  side.  As  you  know,  I  am  not  sight- 
seeing; I  am  here  rn  most  important  business  for  the  Master; 
I  hardly  give  attention  to  any  thing  else  save  official  obliga- 
tions. God  is  with  me  graciously  and  consciously.  I  know  he 
is  your  chief  joy.  In  the  radius  of  his  smile  you  find  joy  and 
gladness.  His  presence  makes  a  paradise.  I  hope  you  great- 
ly enjoyed  your  visit  at  Brother  Dikeman's  lovely  home  at 
Basking  Ridge. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Portland,  Oregon,  Aug.  7: 

We  are  now  at  the  extremest  distance  from  home  to  which 
our  journey  will  take  us.  We  have  traveled  about  four  thou- 
sand miles  since  we  left  "  Lovedom."  I  am  stopping  with  my 
old  friend,  General  Canby.  From  my  windows  I  have  a  view 
of  the  snow-covered  Mount  Hood,  and  the  snow-clad  Mount 
St.  Helen's  is  seen  in  the  distance,  some  fifty  miles  away.  It  is 
eight  years  since  I  was  here.  The  Church  and  the  country  have 
made  great  advance  since  then.  Truly  this  is  a  magnificent 
and  most  glorious  country.  Any  citizen  who  does  not  admire 
it,  love  it,  is  not  proud  of  it,  is  a  stupid  blockhead,  who  ought 
to  be  banished  from  it.  To  think  of  its  advantages,  its  in- 
stitutions, its  glorious  liberty  of  being  good  in  your  own  way, 
and  being  happy  because  good — and  not  have  an  enthusiastic 
love  for  it,  is  outrageous. 

From  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  to  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
C.  E.  Harris,  Sept.  7: 

You  will  see  from  the  heading  of  this  that  we  are  again  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  continent.  We  expect  to  reach  New 
York  by  the  24th  inst.  I  am  anticipating  great  joy  in  seeing 
the  faces  of  my  dearly  beloved  ones,  from  whom  I  have  been 
separated  so  long.  My  stay,  however,  will  be  short — only  a 
visit.  I  have  no  abiding  place — no  continuing  city.  A  pilgrim 


346  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

and  a  stranger.  I  trust  all  my  meanderings  are  heavenward. 
I  cannot  think  of  going  in  any  other  direction.  All  my  wan- 
derings must  end  at  the  golden  gate.  I  do  feel  that  I  am  on 
my  way  thither.  I  also  feel  that  I  am  ripening  for  that  divine 
estate.  I  seem  to  get  nearer  to  God  in  prayer,  to  have  more 
constantly  a  consciousness  of  God's  gracious  presence.  I  feel 
that  I  am  walking  with  God,  and  that  I  please  him.  Nothing 
else  is  worth  living  for.  Life  more  and  more  seems  like  a 
dream  when  one  awaketh — so  short,  so  uncertain,  of  so  little 
consequence,  only  as  it  draws  interest  and  importance  from 
eternity.  The  immensity  of  future  interests  to  be  shaped  and 
determined  by  our  conduct  here  makes  life  a  great  solemnity. 
O  that  we  could  always  measure  things  by  the  calculus  of 
eternity! 

The  Bishop  reached  home  toward  the  last  of 
September,  taking  the  session  of  the  Michigan  Con- 
ference on  his  way.  He  almost  immediately  turned 
back,  and  met  the  Genesee  and  Ohio  Conferences 
in  October.  After  another  brief  respite  at  home, 
he  proceeded  to  the  extreme  South-west  to  hold 
the  Texas,  Louisiana,  and  Mississippi  Conferences. 

To  Miss  Janes,  from  New  Orleans,  La.,  Nov.  29 : 

I  reached  this  city  at  noon  to-day.  Have  had  a  prosperous 
journey  by  the  will  of  God.  Chaplain  M'Cabe  met  me  at  Hum- 
boldt,  Tenn.,  as  we  arranged  when  he  was  at  our  house.  The 
cities  and  the  country  are  very  unlike  any  thing  you  have  seen 
in  Europe  or  in  this  better  land.  I  have  sublime  anticipations 
of  the  future  of  our  country.  Nothing  has  given  me  so  much 
confidence  as  the  overthrow  of  slavery  in  the  South,  and  the 
overthrow  of  the  official  banditti  of  robbers  in  New  York. 
These  events  both  show  how  mighty  are  the  virtuous  people 
when  aroused  and  combined.  Great  exigencies  will  combine 
them.  They  will  stand  together  when  the  public  weal  really 


VISITS  THE  SOUTH-WEST.  347 

demands  it.  Then,  united  and  moving  in  solid  phalanx,  nothing 
can  resist  them.  I  take  steamer  in  the  morning  for  Galveston, 
Texas. 

To  Miss  Janes,  from  Austin,  Texas,  Dec.  4  and  6 : 

You  will  see  by  the  heading  of  this  that  I  have  arrived  at 
this  most  distant  point  of  my  journey  in  safety  and  season.  I 
had  a  very  hard  journey  after  I  left  New  Orleans.  The  last 
night  we  traveled  in  an  open  hack  over  a  very  rough  road. 
I  yesterday  preached  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  Enjoyed  the 
service  myself.  I  hope  others  were  profited.  At  night  I  heard 
Brother  M'Cabe.  He  preached  a  good  sermon  and  sang  three 
songs.  He  interested  the  congregation.  Dr.  Rust  preached 
in  the  Southern  Methodist  church  in  the  forenoon. 

The  prospect  is  that  we  shall  have  a  pleasant  visit  to  this 
State.  I  hope  it  will  be  with  advantage  to  the  Church  and  to 
the  cause  of  Christ.  I  dreaded  to  start,  but  as  I  have  reached 
the  extreme  point  in  safety,  and  have  turned  round,  and  my 
look  is  homeward,  I  feel  cheerful  and  hopeful.  I  feel  the  pri- 
vation of  being  absent  from  my  charmed  circle  over  Christmas 
and  the  holidays.  But  to  spread  the  name  of  Christ  is  perhaps 
the  best  way  of  celebrating  his  advent.  The  angel  who  first 
announced  his  appearance  was  gloriously  employed,  and,  I 
judge,  as  sweetly  employed  as  an  angel  or  man  has  been  be- 
fore or  since.  To  echo  his  voice  in  the  ears  of  perishing  men 
is  the  next  best  employment  for  men  or  angels. 

I  am  in  the  chair  of  Conference  in  the  State  Capitol.  A  dig- 
nified place,  a  dignified  Conference  before  me,  at  least,  they 
have  dignity  enough  to  make  it  necessary  for  me  to  look  after 
it.  Business  with  a  mixed  Conference  of  white  American  min- 
isters, German  ministers,  and  a  majority  of  colored  ministers 
is  awkward  and  slow.  My  traveling  companions  are  full  of 
pleasantry  and  cheer.  So  my  days  glide  sweetly  as  well  as 
swiftly  away.  Though  the  Conference  is  small,  yet  it  is  not 
without  care  and  labor.  To  me  it  was  of  great  interest.  I 
look  upon  it  as  the  germ  of  evangelical  Christianity. 


348  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

The  allusion  of  the  Bishop  to  his  traveling  com- 
panions suggests  some  pleasing  incidents  by  the  way. 
He  was  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rust  and 
the  Rev.  C.  C.  M'Cabe.  On  the  steamer  from  New 
Orleans  to  Galveston,  Texas,  there  was  an  old  gen- 
tleman who  had  in  his  possession  the  parchments 
of  Bishop  Asbury,  which  he  wished  to  present  to 
Bishop  Janes.  He  did  not  know  the  Bishop,  and 
supposing  from  Dr.  Rust's  appearance  that  he  must 
be  the  Bishop,  he  approached  him  and  handed 
him  the  parchments.  The  reverend  doctor  at  once 
corrected  the  gentleman's  mistake,  and,  introduc- 
ing him  to  the  Bishop,  felt  content  to  have  en- 
joyed, even  for  a  brief  moment,  the  dignity  of  an 
episkopos. 

When  the  party  arrived  at  Austin,  on  Sunday 
morning,  weary  and  dusty,  Dr.  Rust  and  Chaplain 
M'Cabe  supposed  that  none  of  them  would  be  ex- 
pected to  preach  that  day,  and  they  were  anticipat- 
ing a  day  of  rest.  Looking  toward  the  Bishop  they 
saw  he  was  very  carefully  preparing  his  toilet ; 
whereupon  they  said,  "  Bishop,  what  are  you  do- 
ing?" He  immediately  responded,  "  I  have  an  ap- 
pointment to  preach  here  to-day."  And  preach  he 
did ;  and  they  all  preached.  One  afternoon,  during 
the  session  of  the  Texas  Conference,  when  Dr.  Rust 
was  about  to  preach,  the  Bishop  requested  the 
chaplain  to  sing  a  hymn,  supposing  he  would  give 
them  one  of  his  own  favorite  spiritual  songs.  But 


TEXAS  CONFERENCE.  349 

the  chaplain  struck  up  one  of  the  colored  people's 
songs,  with  the  chorus, 

"My  Lord,  will  you  stand  by  me?" 

Very  soon  the  colored  preachers  and  people  were 
shouting  all  over  the  house.  When  they  had  got 
fairly  through  with  this  song,  a  colored  brother  ex- 
temporized an  additional  verse  and  the  chorus  fol- 
lowed, then  a  colored  sister  improvised  one,  the 
chorus  again  followed,  and  last,  the  chaplain  him- 
self improvised  another,  and  the  chorus  rang  out 
stronger  and  louder  than  ever.  The  Bishop,  becom- 
ing at  this  point  somewhat  uneasy,  reached  over, 
pulled  the  chaplain's  coat-tails,  and  very  gently 
asked,  "  Chaplain,  how  long  is  this  piece  ?  " 

These  are  specimens  of  the  pleasantries  of  the 
tour.  The  Bishop  could  enjoy  a  little  humor  in  his 
quiet  way;  but  possibly  he  never  felt  more  pro- 
foundly the  importance  of  his  great  mission  than  on 
this  same  visitation.  One  night  when  these  breth- 
ren were  with  him  in  the  State  of  Mississippi,  either 
going  or  returning,  they  were  all  lodging  in  the  same 
room.  Dr.  Rust  and  the  chaplain  had  retired,  leav- 
ing the  Bishop  on  his  knees.  They  both  fell  asleep. 
After  some  time  they  chanced  to  awake — how  long 
they  had  slept  they  did  not  know,  but  looking  to- 
ward the  Bishop's  bed,  which  was  near  a  window, 
there  he  was  still  on  his  knees,  his  face  uplifted  to- 
ward the  open  window,  and  the  moonlight  gleam- 
ing in  upon  it.  Says  the  chaplain,  "  We  could  hear 


350  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

his  groans,  and  his  face  shone  as  it  were  the  face  of 
an  angel."  Such  was  his  preparation  for  the  work 
in  the  South.  God's  lowly  poor  lay  upon  his  heart 
with  a  weight  which  found  its  only  adequate  relief 
in  groanings  which  could  not  be  uttered.  Nothing 
could  exceed  the  sense  of  responsibility  he  felt  for 
the  religious  and  social  culture  of  the  Freedmen ; 
and  in  these  official  visits  he  believed  he  was 
planting  seeds  which  would  grow  into  ever-widen- 
ing harvests. 

To  Miss  Janes,  from  New  Orleans,  La.,  Decem- 
ber 1 1  : 

We  finished  the  business  of  [the  Texas]  Conference  Satur- 
day evening.  Sunday  morning  I  preached  in  the  hall  of  the 
House  of  Representatives.  A  large  audience.  The  chief  Jus- 
tice and  all  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  were  present.  I 
mention  this  because  the  last  time  I  was  in  Texas  a  mob  inter- 
rupted my  preaching  and  undertook  to  drive  me  and  the  Confer- 
ence from  the  State.  The  papers  then  warned  me,  that  if  I  was 
ever  caught  in  Texas  again  I  should  never  leave  it  alive.  But 
now  I  was  treated  with  courtesy  and  respect  every-where  and  by 
every  body.  At  the  hotel  in  Galveston  several  ministers  of  the 
Church  South  called  on  me.  I  left  Austin  on  Monday  morn- 
ing; rode  twelve  miles  in  a  carriage,  then  took  a  construc- 
tion train  six  miles;  waited  four  hours  on  an  open  prairie,  took 
another  construction  train  twenty  miles.  Reached  a  small 
town  of  shanties,  went  to  a  shanty  hotel,  got  a  shanty  supper, 
went  to  a  shanty  bed,  and  slept  as  best  I  could  until  morning. 
I  arrived  in  this  city  Tuesday  evening  at  six  o'clock.  Went  to 
a  restaurant  and  got  some  supper;  then  went  to  the  church 
and  opened  the  Conference.  The  first  time  in  all  my  episco- 
pacy when  I  commenced  a  Conference  in  the  evening.  I  did 
it  this  time  to  meet  my  reaching  the  city  and  to  save  my  time. 


THE  SOUTH-WEST.  351 

My  Texas  trip  was  a  tiresome  one,  but  pleasant.     I  have  a 
beautiful  home  here.      I  am  entertained  by  General  Bussy. 

The  Conference  has  just  adjourned  to  give  place  to  a  Sab- 
bath-school jitbilee.  The  house  is  filling  up  with  bright  children 
with  as  many  hues  as  there  are  in  the  rainbow.  They  are  not 
so  arranged  as  to  imitate  that  supreme  beauty  of  creation.  It 
is,  nevertheless,  to  the  philanthropist  or  patriot  or  Christian  a 
grand  sight.  There  is  future  citizenship,  church  membership, 
statesmen,  ministers,  and  all  sorts  of  public  men.  I  presume, 
also,  some  vagabonds.  The  whole  is  managed  by  colored  per- 
sons. Not  so  very  orderly,  but  all  will  come  out  usefully.  A 
little  six-year-old  orator  is  now  displaying  himself.  We  have 
four  hours  of  this  rich  entertainment  —  interesting.  "  The 
Bishop  must  see  and  hear  it."  He  is  speaking  the  "  Six 
Hundred."  Is  it  not  appropriate?  Now  we  have  a  hurrah 
with  feet  and  hands.  The  marshal  forbids  any  more  slap- 
ping or  stamping.  They  had  a  love-feast  this  morning.  It 
was  heavenly. 

Then  after  meeting  the  Mississippi  Conference, 
December  21-25,  he  returned  home  about  the  close 
•of  the  year,  having  held  since  the  first  of  March 
twenty-one  Conferences,  and  traveled  about  thir- 
teen thousand  miles.  "  God's  care,"  he  says,  "  has 
been  constant  and  tender." 

Again  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
one  of  his  colleagues.  Bishop  Baker  died  at  his 
residence,  Concord,  N.  H.,  on  December  20,  and 
on  January  7th  following  Bishop  Janes  delivered  an 
address  at  a  memorial  service  for  the  Bishop  in  the 
Bromfield-street  Church,  Boston. 


352  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

1872-1875. 

Parts  with  Mt.  "Wesley — General  Conference  at  Brooklyn — Assur- 
ances of  Love  from  his  Brethren — Boards  of  the  Church — Frater- 
nization Camp-Meeting  at  Round  Lake. 

TN  January,  1872,  after  having  just  closed  his  of- 
•*•  ficial  visit  to  the  South-west,  the  Bishop  suc- 
cessively held  the  Washington,  East  German,  Troy, 
New  Hampshire,  and  Maine  Conferences. 

Among  the  letters  of  this  period  is  6ne  written 
to  a  returned  missionary.  Omitting  the  personal 
allusions,  I  give  an  abstract  or  two  as  showing  the 
estimation  in  which  he  held  the  calling  of  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  heathen.  Men  and  women  animated 
by  the  spirit  he  describes  would  indeed  soon  take 
the  world  for  Christ : 

I  do  not  believe  that  any  thing  but  the  question  of  life  or 
death  should  induce  a  missionary  who  has  qualified  himself  to 
labor  in  a  heathen  country  to  quit  it.  This  matter  of  evangel- 
izing the  world  is  a  great  and  solemn  duty.  It  cannot  be  done 
without  sacrifice,  without  suffering.  Many  will  have  to  take 
a  short  route  to  heaven.  But  it  must  be  done.  The  world 
must  be  restored  to  holiness  and  God.  O,  how  I  wish  I  was 
young  enough  to  go  with  you  and  be  among  those  to  whom  it 
is  given  not  only  to  believe  on  Christ  but  also  to  suffer  with 
him — to  suffer  with  him  I  O  what  a  thought,  to  bear  with 


LETTER  TO  A  MISSIONARY.  353 

Christ  a  part  of  the  sufferings  by  which  our  world  is  to  be 
saved ! 

It  is  one  of  the  most  precious  memories  of  all  my  past  life 
that  when  young  I  offered  myself  for  the  mission  work.  I  was 
not  accepted  on  account  of  my  health,  I  believe,  mainly.  I 
would  not  have  that  act  of  my  life  blotted  out  for  the  wealth 
of  the  Indies.  I  can  now  only  cheer  on  my  younger  brothers, 
do  all  I  can  to  raise  the  means  for  sustaining  the  work,  and 
pray. 

I  repeat,  God  helping,  you  must  go  back.  Your  life  there 
is  a  hundred  times  more  precious  than  it  is  here.  An  inch 
of  missionary  life,  after  you  have  acquired  the  language 
and  are  prepared  to  work  to  advantage,  is  worth  a  mile  of 
ministerial  life  here.  Life  there  and  life  here,  in  God's  service, 
are  not  comparable  in  their  interest.  I  can  scarcely  refrain 
from  envying  a  missionary  when  I  see  him  starting  for  a  for- 
eign mission  field.  Tame  men  can  work  here  in  this  Christian 
country ;  but  it  wants  do-or-die  men  in  heathen  lands — men 
who  would  rather  die  than  fail. 

The  fifth  anniversary  of  the  Freedmen's  Aid  Soci- 
ety of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  held  in 
the  Hanson  Place  Church,  Brooklyn,  Feb.  8,  1872. 
Bishop  Janes  was  one  of  the  speakers  on  the  occa- 
sion. He  said,  among  other  things,  as  he  claimed 
what  should  be  done  for  the  freedmen : 

.  .  .  And  as  this  cause  comes  up  before  the  eyes  of  our  rich 
men,  they  will  see  a  draft  in  the  handwriting  of  Providence 
they  must  honor.  These  men  must  meet  their  obligations ; 
there  must  be  no  trifling  with  God.  We  have  the  money;  it  is 
in  the  Church,  and  the  love  of  Christ  and  the  conviction  of  duty 
must  bring  it  torth;  we  must  carry  out  this  work.  If  we  do 
not  do  it,  it  is  a  crime,  and  nothing  short. 

I  look  beyond  our  own  country  on  this  question.  I  have  the 
conviction  that  Africans  must  redeem  Africa ;  and  we  have  in 


354  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

our  schools  the  men  who,  in  five  or  ten  years,  will  be  mission- 
aries to  Africa,  will  go  out  and  light  the  fires  of  salvation  in 
that  dark  and  gloomy  continent.  They  can  live  there ;  they 
have  a  sympathy  for  their  own  race  that  others  cannot  have, 
much  as  we  are  interested.  Nevertheless,  we  cannot  go  with 
the  same  feelings  that  they  will  go  with.  We  must  have  these 
educated  men  for  this  work.  I  do  not  want  to  make  a  wrong 
impression  here  upon  this  question.  When  we  speak  of  men 
educated  for  the  ministry,  we  speak  of  men  educated  appropri- 
ately for  their  work.  When  we  first  went  down  among  that 
people  we  found  old  men  who  had  been  Christians  for  many 
years,  who  had  taught  these  people,  who  had  been  accustomed 
to  pray  with  the  people,  who  had  preached  and  exhorted  the 
best  they  could,  and  had  been  acceptable  and  useful,  and  they 
are  grand  old  patriarchs  now;  but  the  children  of  these  people 
began  to  go  to  school,  and  learned  the  proprieties  of  speech, 
and  correctness  of  utterance ;  they  began  to  have  some  educa- 
tional taste  and  feeling,  and  they  are  not  satisfied  with  their 
style  of  address  in  the  pulpit,  and  we  are  now  giving  them 
ministers  in  advance  of  them.  When  another  generation  comes 
up  we  shall  have  more  extended  and  general  education  in  the 
congregation,  and  we  must  have  an  advance  in  the  ministry. 
The  ministry  must  be  kept  ahead  of  the  people.  That  is  what 
we  mean  by  this  educated  ministry. 

And  now,  in  behalf  of  these  millions,  their  present  and  their 
future,  their  temporal  and  eternal  good,  I  appeal  to  you  for 
help ;  I  appeal  to  this  nation,  to  the  people  of  this  Republic, 
this  "  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave."  I  appeal 
to  all  to  help  educate  these  dependent  millions.  For  Christ's 
sake,  help ;  for  God's  sake,  help ;  and  help  now,  and  help  large- 
ly, and  continue  to  help,  until  the  work  is  done. 

From  the  Washington  (colored)  Conference,   at 
Baltimore,  March  2,  to  Mrs.  Janes: 

It  is  spring  by  the  almanac,  but  is  stormy  winter  according 
to  the  weather.  .  .  .  You  and  I  will  see  but  few  more  of  the 


PARTS  WITH  MOUNT  WESLEY.         355 

storms  of  life.  The  perpetual  spring  of  heaven,  the  songs  of 
angels,  and  the  beauty  and  blessedness  of  paradise  will  ever 
feast  us.  The  title  to  this  inheritance  is  written  on  my  heart 
by  the  finger  of  God  and  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  am  rich 
in  prospect ;  yes,  and  in  possession.  Religion  and  a  happy 
home  make  any  person  rich. 

It  will  have  been  observed  that  for  several  years 
there  have  been  no  removals  for  the  summer  to 
Mount  Wesley,  and  indeed  scarcely  a  reference  to 
the  charmed  spot.  For  judicious  considerations  the 
Bishop  had  sold  the  property.  It  is  now  owned  by 
Mr.  A.  V.  Stout  and  Mr.  George  I.  Seney.  These 
Christian  gentlemen,  so  well  and  favorably  known 
in  the  business  and  Methodist  circles  of  New  York, 
have  capacious  and  beautiful  summer  residences 
near  the  humble  "  Mount  Wesley."  Still,  as  the  fol- 
lowing letter  will  attest,  the  great  and  good  man's 
heart  was  in  the  country,  and  had  his  engagements 
allowed,  its  scenes  and  pursuits  would  still  have 
been  his  delight. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Bristol,  N.  H.,  April  5  : 

I  expect  you  hear  the  chattering  of  the  little  chirpers  in  the 
park  every  clay.  I  am  thankful  these  little  sparrows  have  been 
brought  to  our  cities  every  time  I  hear  them  or  see  them.  I 
shall  always  be  a  country  boy.  I  can  never  lose  my  love  of 
country  scenery  and  employments  and  life.  The  flocks  and 
herds,  the  flowers  and  fruits,  the  labors  and  amusements  of 
the  country  always  charm  me.  But  I  am  doomed  to  a  city 
life  so  far  as  my  home  life  is  concerned.  All  right.  No  one 
in  city  or  country  has  a  sweeter  home  than  mine.  It  really 
matters  little  where  I  am  so  my  family  are  with  me  and  God  is 
with  us. 


356  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

The  General  Conference  convened  in  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  first  day  of  May,  1872,  Bishops  Mor- 
ris, Janes,  Scott,  Simpson,  and  Ames  were  present. 

It  having  been  ascertained  that  three  fourths  of 
the  ministers  of  the  Annual  Conferences  had  voted 
to  change  the  second  restrictive  rule  so  as  to  allow, 
in  conformity  to  the  avowed  wishes  of  a  majority  of 
the  people,  the  admission  of  laymen  into  the  Gen- 
eral Conference,  it  was  resolved  by  the  Conference 
at  its  first  session,  "  That  we  do  now  admit  to  seats 
in  the  General  Conference,  and  to  a  participation 
in  all  its  rights  and  privileges,  the  laymen  provis- 
ionally elected  by  the  several  Lay  Electoral  Con- 
ferences and  properly  accredited." 

Bishop  Janes  presided  the  first  day.  The  session 
was  unavoidably  one  of  great  pressure,  owing  to  the 
careful  rulings  which  had  to  be  made  in  adjusting 
the  body  to  its  altered  composition.  He  was  taken 
violently  ill  at  the  close  of  the  session  and  had  to 
be  carried  home,  and  was  not  able  to  again  attend 
upon  the  proceedings  for  about  two  weeks.  Dur- 
ing his  illness  the  Conference  unanimously  adopted 
a  resolution  of  sympathy,  and  on  his  recovery  and 
re-appearance  in  the  Conference  received  him  by  a 
rising  vote  of  welcome. 

The  Bishops,  in  their  quadrennial  address,  in 
view  of  the  death  of  four  of  their  colleagues  and  the 
feebleness  of  Bishop  Morris,  the  senior  Bishop,  and 
the  constantly  enlarging  demands  of  the  work  at 


FIRST  VACATION.  357 

home  and  abroad,  recommended  the  election  of 
from  five  to  eight  additional  Bishops.  The  Con- 
ference finally  fixed  the  number  at  eight,  and 
Thomas  Bowman,  D.D.  ;  William  L.  Harris,  D.D. ; 
Randolph  S.  Foster,  D.D. ;  Isaac  W.  Wiley,  D.D.  ; 
Stephen  M.  Mejrill,  D.D.  ;  Edward  G.  Andrews, 
D.D. ;  Gilbert  Haven,  A.M. ;  and  Jesse  T.  Peck, 
S.T.D.,  were  duly  elected  and  consecrated  to  the  of- 
fice of  Bishop.  Thus  the  wasted  ranks  of  the  Epis- 
copacy were  re-enforced  by  eight  efficient  superin- 
tendents. The  General  Conference  voted  that  the 
Bishops,  in  arranging  the  work,  should,  as  far  as 
practicable,  relieve  the  senior  Bishops.  So  we  shall 
find  Bishop  Janes  for  once  trying  to  take  a  vacation. 
It  will  be  seen  it  was  hard  for  him  to  learn  how  to 
play — work  had  become  the  habit  of  his  life. 

From  Saratoga,  to  Miss  Janes,  July  20: 

I  propose  to  spend  the  Sabbath  here,  and  on  Monday  go  on 
to  Sheldon,  Vt.  Yesterday  was  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I 
felt  I  was  traveling  without  an  object.  On  my  way  to  Mid- 
dletown  I  was  going  to  meet  the  trustees  of  the  university  ; 
on  my  way  to  Canaan  1  was  going  to  see  and  comfort  afflicted 
relatives ;  but  when  I  left  there  and  started  off,  I  could  hardly 
tell  why.  True,  the  professed  object  was  to  benefit  my  health, 
but  that  seemed  so  much  of  a  myth  I  could  hardly  recognize 
it  as  a  real  object.  I  never  before  traveled  a  day  in  pursuit 
of  health  or  recreation — always  on  some  of  God's  errands.  It 
was  breaking  an  old  mental  habit  to  travel  for  any  other  inter- 
est. I  seemed  to  feel  I  was  "doing  nothing,"  as  the  boys 
sometimes  say.  Perhaps  I  shall  get  over  the  feeling  ;  I  want 
to  grow  old  and  useless  gracefully,  if  I  can. 

16 


358  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

From  Bernardsville,  N.  J.,  August  9,  where  he 
was  resting  awhile,  he  writes :  "  I  am  doing  well  in 
health,  and  am  happy  in  all  respects.  Mother  has 
her  celestial  sunshine,  and  is  basking  in  its  glory." 

Early  in  the  autumn  he  was  again  off  on  an  offi- 
cial tour,  meeting  the  North-west  Indiana,  Chicago 
German,  and  North-west  German  Conferences,  from 
September  4  to  30.  As  he  travels  along  he  repre- 
sents himself  as  an  aeronaut  who,  when  he  rises 
and  moves  away,  sends  out  frequent  parachutes, 
with  some  little  notices  of  the  progress  of  his  voy- 
age. I  open  a  few  of  these. 

A  few  minutes  after  seven  P.  M.  I  started  for  the  depot  at 
the  foot  of  Cortlandt-street.  It  rained,  and  was  very  dark. 
Going  down  Cortlandt-street  a  man  stepped  up  to  me  and 
said,  "  Your  satchel  is  too  heavy  for  you  to  carry,  old  man  ; 
let  me  help  you."  I  said,  "  No,  I  thank  you."  "  Ah,  yes,  let 
me  help  you,  old  man,"  he  repeated.  I  said,  "  No  ! "  with 
emphasis,  but  he  seized  hold  of  one  handle  and  walked  along 
with  me.  I  just  kept  my  hold,  but  let  him  carryyt.  When  we 
got  to  the  ticket  office  I  said,  "  Put  it  down."  He  did  so,  but 
when  I  had  gotten  my  ticket  he  quickly  caught  it  up  and 
walked  on  the  boat.  As  I  knew  he  could  do  no  mischief  I  let 
him  carry  it,  and  went  and  sat  down  beside  him,  intending  to 
take  the  valise  and  let  him  know  I  was  not  a  greenhorn  as 
soon  as  the  boat  stopped.  But  before  we  got  over  a  gentle- 
man came  along  and  accosted  me.  as  Bishop  Janes,  and  soon 
after  my  generous  stranger  withdrew.  If  I  had  been  an  inex- 
perienced traveler  I  might  have  lost  my  baggage  ;  as  it  was,  I 
only  had  a  little  amusement. 

My  health  is  quite  comfortable.  Dr.  Eddy  is  now  address- 
ing the  Conference  on  the  missionary  cause — witty,  pleasant, 
and  useful.  We  also  had  a  speech  in  favor  of  the  Freedmen's 


FAMILY  LETTERS.  359 

Aid.  Society.  So  we  are  well  supplied  with  sacred  rhetoric 
and  religious  elocution.  These  conference  orators  relieve  the 
tedium  of  routine  business.  They  are  generally  spicy,  lively, 
pathetic,  and  even  rousing.  These  Annual  Conferences  are 
really  great  institutions. 

To  Miss  Janes,  with  regard  to  the  infant  school 
at  St.  Paul's  : 

I  am  sorry  you  could  not  spend  more  time  in  the  country 
with  mamma.  I  suppose  those  human  or  angelic  kittens  gath- 
ered about  you  yesterday.  Have  they  grown  any  since  you 
left  them  ?  Grown  mischievous,  I  dare  say,  not  much  wiser. 
Well,  that  is  why  they  need  a  teacher.  It  is  no  great  task  to  • 
enlighten  their  understanding,  but  it  is  a  difficult  thing  to  stop 
the  leaks  in  their  memory.  If  your  patience  strengthens,  like 
the  blacksmith's  arm,  by  hard  using,  you  will  soon  be  made 
perfect  in  that  grace.  I  'spects  old  children  tries  it  too,  some- 
times. 

To  Mrs.  Janes : 

God  smiles  on  me  to-day.  The  future  looks  very  hopeful. 
I  think  national  matters  look  encouraging.  Church  interests 
are  cheering.  God  reigns.  I  do  not  preach  to-morrow  ;  two 
ordinations  ;  besides,  I  judge  a  German  preacher  will  be  more 
edifying  to  the  German  congregations  than  I  should  be.  Our 
German  work  is  doing  well. 

I  closed  my  Conference  last  night.  I  am  to-day  doing  up 
my  writing,  after  which  I  hope  to  get  a  little  rest.  I  start  to- 
morrow morning  for  Galena.  I  expect  the  old  nest  was  quite 
attractive  and  comfortable  to  you.  Association  is  a  very  con- 
siderable part  of  home.  I  will  peep  in  at  you  in  a  few  days. 
Shall  I  find  my  nest  feathered  ?  If  the  old  bird  and  young 
bird  are  there,  we  will  not  think  much  about  the  feathers. 

To  his  grandson : 

Few  boys  of  your  age  have  received  such  careful,  loving, 
religious  instruction  as  you  have  been  favored  with.  Few  boys 


360  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

of  your  age  have  had  such  opportunities  to  see  people  and 
the  world  as  you  have  enjoyed.  You  have  seen  something  of 
your  own  country  and  something  of  foreign  countries.  You 
have  also  been  the  child  of  Christian  parents.  Now,  with  all 
these  advantages,  ought  you  not  to  be  a  very  manly  youth — 
a  good,  wise,  gentle,  loving,  praying  youth  ? 

The  Rev.  John  L.  Smith,  D.D.,  of  Indiana, 
referring  to  the  Bishop's  presidency  of  the 
North-west  Indiana  Conference,  at  Thorntown, 
this  year,  says : 

In  his  address  to  the  candidates  for  full  membership  in  the 
Conference  he  excelled  even  himself  in  one  of  the  most  search- 
ing and  exhaustive  addresses  ever  listened  to  on  a  similar  oc- 
casion. On  the  subject  of  pastoral  visiting  he  repeated  and 
emphasized  the  declaration,  "  /  would  rather  it  should  be  said 
I  was  a  poor  preacher  than  a  poor  pastor."  His  words  are 
not  forgotten. 

After  returning  home  he  hastened,  in  October, 
to  the  assistance  of  Bishop  Peck,  at  the  Central 
New  York  Conference,  Palmyra,  N.  Y.  Bishop 
Peck  was  just  recovering  from  a  protracted  illness, 
and  was  barely  able  to  resume  his  official  duties. 
Bishop  Janes  writes  of  him  at  the  time,  "  He  is 
getting  well,  and  I  judge  will  be  a  strong  Bishop 
for  years  to  come." 

The  year  may  appropriately  close  with  a  letter 
to  Mrs.  Gov.  Wright,  who  was  traveling  in  the  far 
East: 

In  my  pastoral  reviews  and  solicitudes  this  Christmas-day  I 
have  been  thinking  of  the  scattered  sheep  of  the  fold.  I  find 


LETTER  TO  MRS.  Gov.  WRIGHT.        361 

some  are  entirely  beyond  my  personal  watch-care,  so  I  can 
only  speak  to  them  with  my  pen.  I  am  sure  your  journey  will 
be  a  source  of  exquisite  pleasure  to  you  until  you  reach  your 
heavenly  home.  How  much  to  think  of !  how  much  to  speak 
of !  How  richly  you  can  entertain  others  !  No  solitary  place, 
no  sick-bed,  no  social  hour,  will  find  you  without  abundant 
resources  of  enjoyment.  I  doubt  not  but  that,  like  the  busy 
bee,  you  are  storing  up  honey  from  every  opening  flower,  from 
every  beautiful  landscape,  from  every  mountain  prospect,  from 
every  beautiful  work  of  art,  from  every  monument  of  human 
greatness,  from  every  architectural  triumph,  from  every  con- 
tact with  different  peoples.  Something  to  remember  and  re- 
flect upon  all  the  time.  And  how  will  the  pleasure  and  edifi- 
cation be  increased  as  you  enter  the  Holy  Land  !  When  you 
begin  to  walk  where  Jesus  walked,  and  to  see  what  Jesus  saw, 
and  to  be  reminded  continually  of  what  Jesus  did  !  What  a 
privilege  it  is  to  visit  the  places  Jesus  hallowed  and  rendered 
sacred  and  precious  by  his  presence  and  works  !  O,  that  one 
place  where  he  trod  the  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God  alone, 
for  me  and  for  mankind  !  No  spot  on  earth  so  sacred,  so 
melancholy,  and  yet  so  sweet  and  so  inspiring  as  that.  There 
my  soul  was  bought  with  a  price,  even  the  precious  blood  of 
Christ.  There  my  hope  was  born.  There  my  resurrection 
was  secured.  With  what  mingled  emotions  I  think  of  it ! 
How  I  would  like  to  see  it !  Still,  the  great  interest  would  be 
wanting.  Jesus  is  not  there  now.  It  is  only  the  place  where 
he  lay.  O  how  happy  it  is  for  us  that  he  has  gone  away ! 
Yes,  that  he  has  gone  to  the  mercy-seat,  and  there  ever 
liveth  to  intercede  for  us.  I  am  going  to  see  him  there — 
to  see  him  as  he  is.  I  am  on  my  way  thither,  longing  for 
the  beatific  vision.  Still,  I  have  no  desire  to  be  dismissed 
from  his  service  here.  If  I  can  only  spread  the  savor  of  his 
name  among  perishing  sinners  and  bring  them  to  behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  I  can 
joyfully  wait  a  great  while  before  I  sit  down  with  my  Master 
on  his  throne.  The  pleasure  of  advancing  his  kingdom  on 
earth  is  only  second  to  the  felicity  of  his  presence  in  heaven. 


362  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

January,  1873,  tne  Bishop  was  assigned  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Louisiana  Conferences. 

From  New  Orleans  he  writes  on  the  I4th : 

I  have  seldom  been  as  much  exhausted  with  the  labors  of  a 
Conference.  We  have  had  several  very  troublesome  questions. 
Last  Friday  and  Saturday  I  was  very  anxious.  I  prayed  hard, 
and  God  brought  me  out  of  the  difficulties.  I  think  the  in- 
terests of  the  Church  are  safe  in  this  section  for  a  time — I 
hope,  permanently.  Satan  never  seems  to  tire  of  his  mischief- 
making. 

He   next   held  the  Washington  Conference,  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  February  26-March  4. 
To  Mrs.  Janes: 

God's  blessing  is  on  me  this  morning,  and  I  doubt  not  is 
also  upon  you.  Our  heavenly  Father  has  been  very  kind  and 
gracious  to  us  for  a  long  time.  He  will  not  fail  us  in  the 
autumn  and  winter  of  life.  Perhaps  we  shall  have  a  tropical 
winter,  flowers  and  fruits  to  the  end.  Indeed,  I  expect  this  life 
will  be  all  spring-time,  and  the  next  life  all  summer-time ;  De- 
cember as  pleasant  as  May.  The  Sun  of  Righteousness  never 
removes  to  the  north  or  the  south.  His  meridian  is  always 
over  our  heads.  A  shining  way  to  heaven. 

You  will  read  in  the  morning  paper  how  Congress  settled 
the  Credit  Mobilier  matter  yesterday.  A  small  result  for  so 
much  storm.  The  inauguration  is  the  subject  of  every  body's 
conversation.  I  expect  it  will  be  a  grand  pageant.  If  a  good 
administration  follows  all  will  be  well. 

Conference  business  is  progressing  pleasantly.  We  are 
having  a  funny  debate  on  the  question  where  the  Conference 
shall  hold  its  next  session.  Some  first-class  spread-eagle  elo- 
quence. I  wish  you  could  hear  it.  They  are  ready  to  vote, 
and  I  must  stop. 

The  Bishop's  next  Conference  was  the  Vermont, 
at  Richford,  Vermont,  April  23-28. 


THE  LOVE  OF  HIS  BRETHREN.          363 
To  Mrs.  Janes: 

I  reached  this  place  in  safety  yesterday,  though  wearied  and 
more  feeble  than  usual,  and  Conference  has  opened  very  nicely. 
I  hope  for  a  pleasant  session.  Already  some  troublesome 
questions  have  arisen  which  will  give  me  some  labor,  but,  I 
hope,  not  anxiety. 

Says  Mr.  Miller,  of  Vermont,  in  connection  with 
the  close  of  the  session  : 

The  Conference  was  about  to  close.  It  was  just  before  din- 
ner, and  the  train  which  was  to  take  the  Bishop  and  most  of 
the  members  away  was  to  leave  at  an  early  hour  after  noon. 
Some  one  respectfully  suggested  to  the  Bishop  that  there  was 
little  time  for  unnecessary  delay,  and,  moreover,  that  he,  the 
brother,  wished  sufficient  time  to  get  some  dinner  before 
starting  for  home.  "Yes,  yes,  brother,"  said  the  Bishop,  in 
his  peculiar  voice,  "  yes,  but  let  us  get  a  little  bread  from  heav- 
en first."  Then  he  turned  to  the  Bible,  and  then  to  prayer; 
and  all  felt  they  would  rather  be  thus  fed  than  to  have  the  bread 
that  perisheth. 

It  was  very  refreshing  to  the  Bishop  in  his  ad- 
vanced years  to  receive  assurances  from  his  breth- 
ren of  their  respect  and  esteem.  Especially  was 
this  the  case  when  such  assurances  came  from  un- 
expected sources.  The  Rev.  W.  H.  Wilson,  of  the 
Baltimore  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  having  occasion  to  address  him  a 
letter,  commending  a  colored  minister  to  his  atten- 
tion from  his  neighborhood,  Port  Republic,  Virginia, 
thus  takes  occasion  to  express  his  warm  personal 
affection  for  the  Bishop  : 


364  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

And  now,  my  dear  Bishop,  I  cannot  forbear  greeting  you  in 
the  name  of  our  divine  Master.  When  a  youthful  preacher  in 
the  Baltimore  Conference  I  learned  to  love  you  for  what  I  re- 
garded so  eminently  worthy  of  my  confidence  and  love.  Na- 
tional, ecclesiastical,  and  social  upheavals  have  made  time 
itself  more  exacting  on  our  natural  feelings  and  affections. 
But,  Bishop,  there  is  a  province  unaffected  by  these  rude  influ- 
ences— it  is  the  domain  of  Christian  affection.  I  feel  toward 
you  to-day  the  strong  affections  of  other  years  asserting  them- 
selves with  irrepressible  emotions.  How  I  would  love  to  greet 
you  once  more  in  the  flesh. 

Here  are  two  more  expressions  of  affectionate 
consideration,  this  time  from  his  colleagues. 

Bishop  Foster  to  Bishop  Janes,  from  Berlin, 
Prussia,  June  27 : 

MY  DEAR  BISHOP  :  I  seize  the  first  spare  moment  to  write  you 
a  line,  both  to  thank  you  for  your  kindness  in  seeing  me  off, 
and  to  gratify  my  desire  to  communicate  with  you.  Your  part- 
ing benediction  has  sweetened  all  my  journey,  and  lingers  with 
me  yet.  How  many  times  I  have  prayed  that  the  good  God 
would  give  me  a  measure  of  your  spirit  for  the  great  work 
he  has  laid  upon  me,  and  I  am  comforted  with  the  thought 
that  you  also  pray  for  me.  I  know  with  what  yearning  interest 
you  regard  the  work  in  these  regions,  a  work  that  has  had  both 
your  care  and  prayers  for  many  years.  I  will,  therefore,  de- 
vote this  letter  to  the  matter  of  chief  interest,  the  work  which  I 
am  sent  here  to  look  after.  This  I  know  will  best  meet  your 
desires.  .  .  . 

From  Bishop  Ames  to  Bishop  Janes,  from  Ypsi- 
lanti,  Michigan,  Sept.  6: 

I  have  this  moment  signed  my  name,  with  Bishop  Wiley,  to 
a  telegram  addressed  to  you,  saying  I  would  attend  your  Cen- 
tral Ohio  Conference,  at  Van  Nort,  and  also,  that  I  would 


APPRECIATION  OF  SOCIAL  INTERCOURSE.  365 

attend  your  Conference  at  Albion,  N.  Y.  Now,  my  dear 
brother,  I  pray  you  do  not  suffer  one  moment's  uneasiness 
about  your  episcopal  work.  God,  who  has  so  long  and  so 
graciously  watched  over  our  beloved  Church,  will  still  take  care 
of  it  when  we  are  all  dead. 

As  expressive  of  the  tender  recollection  in  which 
the  Bishop  held  all  his  early  friends  and  associates, 
I  insert  a  letter  written  July  18,  to  the  Rev.  James 
H.  Dandy,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

I  am  very  thankful  to  you  for  your  kind  remembrance  of  me. 
I  am  not  yet  a  very  aged  man,  but  most  of  my  early  friends  in 
the  Church  and  my  early  associates  in  the  ministry  have  as- 
cended to  their  God  and  our  God.  Those  that  remain  are  very 
precious  to  me.  I  have  very  few  opportunities  of  meeting  them 
and  but  little  time  to  correspond  with  them,  but  I  think  of  them 
much  and  love  them  very  tenderly.  My  life  is  a  very  busy  one 
and  a  very  responsible  one.  I  am  obliged  to  forego  to  a  great 
extent  social  pleasures,  yet  the  fellowship  of  my  Christian 
brethren  is  a  great  luxury  to  me.  The  fellowship  of  God  is 
my  chief  delight  and  joy.  I  am  thankful  that  you  are  resting 
in  the  love  of  Jesus  so  peacefully.  Our  refuge  does  not  fail  us 
when  the  storm  beats  on  us.  God  does  not  leave  or  forsake  us  in 
old  age,  nor  even  in  death.  He  loves  his  own  unto  the  end. 

Among  the  most  important  duties  of  the  epis- 
copal supervision  are  those  arising  from  the  official 
connection  of  the  Bishops  with  the  various  Boards 
of  the  benevolent  societies  of  the  Church.  The 
meetings  of  the  General  Committees  on  Missions 
and  Church  Extension  are  fraught  with  great  re- 
sponsibility. The  relation  of  the  Bishops  to  the 

general  appropriations  and  to  the  administration 
16* 


366  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

of  the  several  mission  fields  is  very  close,  and 
gives  rise  to  questions  both  delicate  and  difficult, 
and  which  require  the  utmost  caution  and  courage. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Committee  on  Missions,  in 
1872,  an  advance  on  the  appropriations  of  about 
$190,000  was  made,  and  the  receipts  of  1873.  on 
account  of  the  financial  panic,  fell  short,  leaving 
the  society  in  debt.  At  the  meeting  this  autumn 
(1873)  there  was  a  strong  effort  made  for  retrench- 
ment,  and  it  was  seriously  proposed  to  recall  mis- 
sionaries already  under  appointment.  The  propo- 
sition called  Bishop  Janes  to  the  floor,  and  thor- 
oughly aroused  him.  In  a  speech  of  half  an  hour 
he  electrified  the  committee.  After  he  concluded 
nothing  more  was  said  about  receding  from  any 
position  already  taken,  but  the  cry  was  rather  for 
an  advance  all  along  the  line. 

From  the  meeting  of  the  Mission  Committee,  in 
company  with  his  colleagues,  as  is  the  custom,  he 
went  to  Philadelphia  to  attend  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  Church  Extension  Committee.  The  work 
of  this  Society  also  enlisted  his  deep  sympathy,  and 
received  on  all  suitable  occasions  his  judicious  coun- 
sels, liberal  contributions,  and  eloquent  advocacy. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Philadelphia,  Nov.  20: 

In  company  with  several  of  my  colleagues  I  left  New  York 
at  five  P.  M.  yesterday.  Reached  my  home,  at  Mrs.  Peterson's, 
at  8:35.  Mrs.  Peterson  prepared  me  a  good  warm  supper.  I 
partook  of  it  with  zest,  as  I  was  cold  and  hungry.  Bishops 


ADVANCE  IN  FRATERNIZATION.         367 

met  at  8:30  this  morning,  and  remained  in  session  until  ten 
o'clock,  when  the  Church  Extension  General  Committee  com- 
menced its  session.  As  senior  it  fell  to  me  to  occupy  the 
chair.  I  cannot  yet  judge  of  the  state  of  the  Society,  but  think 
there  has  been  some  increase  in  its  funds.  The  Church  is 
generally  prosperous,  but  still  very  deficient  in  zeal  and  devo- 
tion. God  would  do  much  more  for  us  as  a  Church  if  we 
would  do  all  we  could  for  him. 

Middletown,  New  York,  to  Mrs.  Janes,  Dec.  28 : 
So  the  last  Sabbath  of  1873  is  gone.  How  rapidly  time  flies  ! 
How  soon  we  shall  reach  our  final  home !  Thank  God,  we 
have  a  home  to  go  to  when  this  pilgrimage  is  ended — "  a  house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens."  O  happy  des- 
tiny— forever  with  the  Lord !  Amen. 

The  Bishop's  colleagues  were  very  considerate  of 
him  in  making  out  the  Plan  of  Episcopal  Visitation 
this  year,  as  the  Minutes  show  but  four  Conferences 
presided  over  by  him.  In  March,  April,  and  May 
he  met  the  East  German,  New  England,  New 
Hampshire,  and  East  Maine  Conferences. 

The  Bishops  held  their  spring  meeting  at  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  May  16.  At  that  meeting  the  Rev.  Al- 
bert S.  Hunt,  D.D.,  who,  with  C.  H.  Fowler,  D.D., 
and  General  Clinton  B.  Fisk  had  visited  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  as  fraternal  delegates  from  our  late  General 
Conference,  called  upon  the  Bishops  and  reported 
the  highly  satisfactory  results  of  their  visit.  Thus 
the  cause  of  "  fraternization  "  was  progressing. 
Another  step  was  to  be  taken  the  ensuing  summer 
which  would  still  further  advance  it. 


368  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

The  conception  of  holding  a  Methodist  fraterni- 
zation camp-meeting  at  Round  Lake,  N.  Y.,  had" 
been  formed  the  preceding  year,  and  Bishop  Janes 
had  been  unanimously  requested  by  the  presiding 
elders  and  Mr.  Joseph  Hillman,  President  of  the 
Round  Lake  Camp-meeting  Association,  to  take 
charge  of  all  the  devotional  exercises.  The  aim 
was  to  bring  together  representative  men  from  all 
the  several  bodies  of  Methodism  in  the  United 
States,  Canada,  and  the  British  Provinces,  and  also 
any  English  and  Irish  Methodists  who  might  chance 
to  be  in  the  country.  As  far  back  as  December  3, 
1873,  Mr.  Hillman  wrote  the  Bishop,  "  Every  thing 
looks  very  favorable.  I  am  highly  pleased  with  the 
prospect  of  having  a  grand,  glorious,  old-fashioned 
camp-meeting." 

Bishop  Harris,  then  making  a  missionary  tour 
around  the  world,  writes  the  Bishop  from  Rustchuck, 
Turkey,  May  18,  1874,  making  reference  to  this 
camp-meeting : 

Allow  me,  from  my  heart  of  hearts,  to  thank  you  for  the 
noble  Christian  utterances  of  your  letter  consenting  to  take 
charge  of  the  approaching  camp-meeting  at  Round  Lake.  I 
have  read  them  with  profound  satisfaction,  and  with  devout 
thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God.  I  cannot  but  regret  that  other 
duties  will  prevent  me  from  personally  enjoying  the  privilege 
of  your  feast  of  tabernacles. 

The  camp-meeting  was  accordingly  held,  begin- 
ning July  8.  Bishop  Janes  presided  throughout. 
The  meeting  was  well  attended  and  highly  success- 


ROUND  LAKE  CAMP-MEETING.  369 

ful.  It  was,  however,  not  so  successful  but  that  it 
was  felt  another  such  might  be  even  more  so.  It 
was,  therefore,  resolved  to  hold  another  fraterniza- 
tion meeting  in  1875.  It  was  thought,  that  with 
the  earnest  of  the  present  meeting,  and  the  longer 
time  which  would  be  afforded  for  preliminary  ar- 
rangements, greater  results  might  follow. 

The  Hon.  J.  F.  Simmons,  in  a  communication  to 
the  New  York  "  Methodist,"  June  26,  1875,  refer- 
ring to  the  first  meeting,  says  : 

I  feel  and  know  it  was  a  happy  time — a  perfect  Pentecost,  in 
which  the  Spirit  came  like  "a  rushing  mighty  wind,"  and 
filled  the  whole  vast  multitude  of  God's  people.  It  was  no 
time  for  recurring  to  old  differences  or  new  differences,  or  any 
other  differences.  No,  no  ;  in  the  language  of  good  Bishop 
Peck,  "  Then  we  were  one  Methodist  Church.  Thus  we  felt 
and  thought  and  spoke."  And  God  poured  out  his  Spirit  and 
his  blessings  abundantly  on  all. 

I  wish  every  Methodist,  North  and  South,  East  and  West, 
could  have  been  there. 

4 

The  meeting,  which  was  held  beginning  July  I, 
1875,  was  more  largely  attended  than  that  of  the 
preceding  year.  Bishop  Janes  was  again  present 
and  presided.  His  sermon  and  addresses  were  full 
of  freshness  and  power.  At  the  opening  service, 
after  a  brief  sermon,  he  followed  with  a  few  remarks, 
in  the  course"bf  which  he  said  : 

I  presume  most  who  are  present  worshiped  here  a  year 
ago.  Some  have  gone  to  worship  in  the  sanctuary  above.  The 
year  has  been  one  of  varying  circumstances  with  me.  I 
have  been  very  ill,  and,  as  it  seemed,  near  the  spirit  world.  It 


370  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

was  not  a  time  of  doubt  and  darkness,  but  one  of  peace  and 
hope,  and  even  of  joy  and  love.  I  desire  to  live  and  labor 
and  die  with  holy  charity  as  the  controlling  power  of  my 
being. 

Such  was  the  atmosphere  of  "  holy  charity " 
which  his  spirit  and  words  diffused  throughout  all 
the  intercourse  and  services  of  this  memorable 
meeting.  Thus  the  social  and  devotional  feelings 
were  gradually  and  surely  dissolving  party  differ- 
ences, and  men  were  being  brought  to  see,  in  the 
light  of  the  religious  affections,  their  truer  and  bet- 
ter natures  as  superior  to  the  ecclesiastical  variations 
which  separated  them.  There  is  a  realm  where, 
with  us  all,  charity  reigns ;  and  when  we  emerge 
into  its  holy  light  we  instantly  recognize  the  unity 
which,  while  it  may  exist  even  with  differences,  is 
yet  stronger  and  better  than  them  all. 

The  charity  which  ruled  in  the  Bishop's  heart 
shows  itself  on  this  occasion  in  the  hopefulness 
with  which  it  led  him  to  regard  the  Church.  He 
rejoiced  in  the  belief  that  Methodism  was  not  retro- 
grading but  progressing ;  that  in  the  present  it  was 
essentially  the  same  as  in  the  past.  In  one  of  his 
addresses  he  says  : 

It  is  now  thirty-five  years  since  I  began  to  travel  extensively 
through  the  connection.  It  is  my  clear,  honest  conviction 
that  we  have  not  retrograded  during  those  thirty-five  years.  I 
believe  that  our  preaching  is  just  as  spiritual  and  practical  as 
it  was  thirty-five  years  ago.  I  believe  our  conference  sessions 
are  seasons  of  as  much  spiritual  enjoyment,  of  as  much  devo- 


VIEWS  OF  CHURCH  PROGRESS.          371 

tional  pleasure  and  profit,  and  that  our  conference  work  is  done 
as  much  in  the  immediate  presence  of  God,  as  it  was  when  I 
first  began  to  visit  the  Conferences.  I  think  our  love-feasts 
and  prayer-meetings  are  not  only  as  spiritual,  but  they  are  as 
spirited,  as  they  were  in  former  times,  and  our  revivals  are  as 
numerous  and  as  gracious  as  they  have  been  in  any  period  of 
my  ministry  in  the  Church  ;  and  I  think  there  is  as  much  hun- 
gering and  thirsting  after  God,  that  there  is  as  much  coveting 
the  rich  gifts  of  divine  grace,  as  there  ever  has  been.  I  think 
the  only  reason  why  this  has  been  questioned  by  observers 
whose  views  have  been  limited,  and  whose  examination  has 
not  been  careful  and  thorough,  grows  out  of  these  circum- 
stances :  first,  that  our  membership  has  greatly  increased,  and 
it  would  be  wonderful  if  in  this  increase  of  members  there 
should  not  be  an  increase  of  those  who  are  worldly,  and  who 
are  partially  devoted,  and  who  do  not  exemplify  very  fully  the 
spirit  and  power  of  the  Gospel.  They  do  not  consider  the  in- 
creased number  of  spiritual  and  holy  members  ;  they  only  look 
at  the  increased  number  of  those  who  are  less  consistent. 
Another  reason  is,  we  have  been  building  another  class  of 
church  edifices,  and  a  large  number  of  men  have  the  idea  that 
simplicity  and  spirituality  can  only  dwell  in  very  plain  and  sim- 
ple houses  of  worship.  To  some  extent,  perhaps,  these  con- 
victions are  just.  But  I  must  declare  here,  that  when  I  go  into 
these  better  edifices,  in  most  cases — I  cannot  say  in  all — I  find 
the  same  fervent  preaching  and  the  same  fervent  prayers  for 
the  cause  and  kingdom  of  Christ  that  I  do  in  any  other.  The 
truth  is,  that  spirituality  and  simplicity  and  devotion  can  dwell 
any  where — with  the  humble  and  the  high,  with  the  poor  and 
with  the  rich — and  God  can  manifest  himself  to  his  people 
under  any  circumstances. 

Then,   referring  to  his    own    personal    religious 
experience,  he  thus  expresses  himself: 

I  want  to  say  that  I  am  saved  from  sin  through  Jesus  Christ ; 
that  I  have  an  increasing  nearness  to  God  and  a  more  intimate 


372  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

fellowship  with  him,  a  greater  sense  of  his  gracious  presence 
with  me  continually,  by  day  and  by  night ;  if  I  have  a  title 
to  any  thing,  it  is  to  heaven  ;  if  I  have  a  hold  upon  any  thing, 
it  is  on  heaven.  I  know  my  probation  is  drawing  to  its  close. 
I  have  had  great  opportunities  to  serve  my  Lord  and  Master, 
and  to  do  good  service  for  him.  I  have  a  very  solemn  account 
to  render.  I  appreciate  it  more  and  more,  and  yet  through 
God's  great  mercy  in  Jesus  Christ  I  meet  it  without  fear,  for  I 
believe  that  all  my  imperfections  of  service  and  devotion  are 
forgiven  for  Christ's  sake,  and  that  he  is  the  Lord  my  right- 
eousness, and  that  through  his  mercy  I  shall  give  up  my  ac- 
count with  joy,  and  enter  into  the  presence  and  beatitude  of 
God.  Blessed  be  his  name  ! 

The  Bishop,  it  will  be  seen  by  one  of  the  above 
extracts,  refers  to  a  severe  sickness  in  1874.  Dur- 
ing the  months  of  August  and  September  of  that 
year  he  was  extremely  low.  While  ill  he  received 
very  constant  attention  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas 
M.  Eddy.  The  Bishop  had  scarcely  recovered 
when  Dr.  Eddy  himself  was  stricken  with  the  dis- 
ease of  which  he  died  on  the  fourth  day  of  October. 
I  well  remember  the  sorrow  of  the  Bishop  at  the 
loss  of  this  able  and  devoted  servant  of  God.  I  and 
my  family  were  his  guests  at  the  time.  Only  that 
very  Sunday  morning  the  same  hospitable  doors 
from  which  we  had  gone  forth  to  wander  over  sea 
and  land  to  distant  parts,  opened  again  to  receive 
us.  And  there  the  joy  of  our  "  welcome  "  was  sad- 
dened by  the  death  of  one  of  his  favorite  sons  in 
the  Gospel. 

Only  a  month  before,  while  the  Bishop  was  ill, 


REGRETS  AT  DEATH  OF  DR.  EDDY.       373 

the  venerable  Bishop  Morris  passed  to  his  reward, 
full  of  years,  honor,  and  usefulness.  Bishop  Janes's 
attachment  to  this  truly  wise  and  good  man  was  very 
sincere  and  ardent.  For  long  years  they  had  coun- 
seled, prayed,  wept,  and  rejoiced  together. 

Bishop  Scott  to  Bishop  Janes,  from  the  "  Lodge," 
(near  Middletown,  Del.,)  October  9,  1874: 

I  am  grieved  and  shocked  at  the  death  of  Dr.  Eddy.  At  the 
Central  Illinois  Conference  he  preached  a  noble  sermon.  The 
Church  loses  a  very  efficient  laborer  in  Dr.  Eddy.  The  circle 
still  contracts.  Bishop  Morris,  Dr.  Eddy;  who  next?  You 
say  nothing  about  your  own  health.  I  assume  that  you  are 
better.  I  have  been  much  disturbed  with  accounts  of  your  ill- 
ness. My  prayer  is  that  you  may  be  restored,  and  that  you 
may  be  continued  with  us  yet  many  years. 

One  of  the  most  pleasing  offices  which  Bishop 
Janes  performed  after  his  recovery  is  referred  to  in 
the  following  letter  from  the  Rev.  Alexander 
M'Lean,  of  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  September  26  : 

The  erection  of  the  East  River  Bridge  may  necessitate  the 
removal  of  the  Sands-street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  un- 
der the  altar  of  which  the  remains  of  Revs.  William  and  John 
Summerfield  have  lain  for  these  forty-nine  years.  Mrs.  Black- 
stock,*  of  Portchester,  has  thought  best  to  see  personally  to 
their  re-interment,  and  a  plot  at  Woodlawn  has  been  selected^ 
In  a  letter  received  from  her  she  says  :  "  It  is  my  ardent  desire 
that  our  venerable  and  beloved  Bishop  Janes,  if  this  be  possi- 
ble, should  honor  us  on  this  occasion  with  his  presence.  It  is 
thought  the  time  would  be  opportune  as  to  the  demands  of 
approaching  Conferences  upon  him.  I  can  think  of  no  one  to 
substitute  in  place  of  Bishop  Janes." 

*  Mrs.  Blackstock  is  a  sister  of  Rev.  John  Summerfield. 


374  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

1875, 1876. 

Illness  of  Mrs.  Janes— General  Conference  of  1876 — Episcopal  Ad- 
dress—  Fraternization  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South — Last  Conference — Death  of  Mrs.  Janes — The  last  sermon 
— Final  illness,  death,  and  funeral. 

IN  the  spring  of  1875  the  Bishop  was  assigned 
but  two  Conferences — the  Wilmington  and  the 
Delaware. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Wilmington,  Del.,  March  22  : 

I  had  a  pleasant  Sabbath  yesterday.  I  did  not  preach. 
Conference  is  proceeding  pleasantly.  Dr.  Curry  is  here ; 
preached  yesterday.  Mr.  Phillips,  of  the  Book  Room,  is  here : 
also  Dr.  Rust  and  Dr.  M'Cauley,  President  of  Dickinson  College. 
Dr.  Dashiell  has  been  here.  Bishop  Scott  is  still  here,  and 
Bishop  Haven  is  expected  to-day.  So  you  see  wheresoever  the 
carcass  is,  there  will  the  eagles  be  gathered  together.  This  day 
is  pretty  much  given  up  to  speech-making ;  some  excellent 
speaking. 

The  great  men  here  named  might  be  the  eagles, 
but  who  or  what  was  the  carcass  ? 

In  the  month  of  April  Bishop  Janes  participated 
in  two  exercises,  both  highly  interesting,  but  also 
with  what  different  emotions  !  The  one  was  on  the 
occasion  of  the  Centennial  Sermon,  by  Father 
Boehm,  on  the  2d,  in  Jersey  City,  and  the  other  the 


o  JAMES,  B.B. 


BISHOP  0>'  THE   MKTHoniMT   KPISCOI'Al,   CHl'KCH.U 
AND    RI--.PRESENTATIVF   TO  THK  HKJTIUH   WNFERV-SCF.    ('F  186& 


DEATH  OF  DR.  WAKELEY.  375 

funeral  services  of  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Wakeley,  D.D.,  at 
Sing  Sing,  N.  Y.,  on  the  2Qth. 

On  the  former  occasion  the  Bishop  said  : 

I  have  stood  in  the  presence  of  kings  and  nobles,  of  scholars 
and  divines  in  other  countries,  but  I  never  have  felt,  in  all  my 
experience,  such  an  interest  and  so  profound  a  reverence  as  I 
feel  in  the  presence  of  our  revered  and  beloved  father  in  God, 
this  aged  servant  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  forty-three 
years  this  month  since  I  made  his  personal  acquaintance ; 
and,  having  been  intimate  with  him  from  that  time  till  now,  I 
say  in  this  presence  I  have  never  known  a  fellow-man  in 
whom  there  was  so  little  moral  infirmity  as  in  this  our  father 
before  us  to-day.  I  venerate  him  for  his  associations.  He 
was  associated  with  those  names  that  are  dearest  to  us  in  our 
Church  history — Asbury,  Whatcoat,  M'Kendree,  Jesse  Lee, 
Freeborn  Garrettson,  and  Nathan  Bangs  ;  names  that  we  hold 
in  the  highest  regard  ;  they  were  his  associates.  And  then  he 
has  been  associated  with  a  great  multitude  of  godly  men  and 
women  who  have  composed  our  Church  from  that  early  period 
until  now.  What  fellowships  he  has  enjoyed  ! 

Dr.  Wakeley  had  offered  the  prayer  at  the  Boehm 
celebration,  and  on  the  2Qth  he  was  dead.  His 
ministerial  life  and  that  of  the  Bishop  had  been 
closely  associated  from  their  youth.  Though 
stricken  by  the  fall  of  his  beloved  comrade,  yet  it 
was  with  joy  he  could  repeat  over  his  grave  the 
victorious  words  of  his  dying  friend,  "  When  you 
go  to  the  grave  don't  go  weeping.  Death  has  no 
sting.  The  grave  has  no  terror.  Eternity  has  no 
darkness.  Sing  at  my  funeral." 

In  May  the  Bishop  met  the  Board  of  Bishops  at 
Chicago,  and,  after  returning,  met  the  Delaware 


376  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Conference,  in  July.  In  August  he  availed  himself 
of  the  waters  and  medical  treatment  at  Clifton 
Springs,  N.  Y.  A  few  words  gleaned  from  his  not 
less  frequent,  but  now  much  briefer,  epistles  to  Miss 
Janes  will  be  enough  : 

I  reached  this  place  about  nine  o'clock  this  A.  M.  I  am  not 
settled  yet,  have  not  made  many  observations,  and  am  not 
prepared  to  express  any  opinion  about  men  and  \hings.  I  hope 
you  will  find  contentment  in  indolence.  They  do  not  often 
keep  company,  but  I  do  not  see  any  good  reason  why  they 
should  not  in  dog-days.  I  hope  in  your  case  they  will  not  have 
a  falling  out  until  Jack  Frost  shows  himself.  I  am  trying  to 
coax  them  to  be  friends.  There  is  no  trouble  in  keeping  Indo- 
lence quiet,  but  Contentment  is  a  chary  nymph,  and  inclines 
to  a  roving  life. 

I  would  like  to  have  the  privilege  of  a  bird,  to  hop  among 
the  branches  in  Vineyard  Grove,  and  light  down  upon  Mrs. 
Wright's  sweet  cottage,  and  look  and  listen  an  hour  this  morn- 
ing. It  pleases  me  to  fancy  myself  there.  God  bless  the  lov- 
ing circle,  especially  mamma — the  central  figure  in  my  eyes. 

I  suppose  you  and  the  mother  bird  are  in  the  old  nest  again. 
It  is  good  to  have  a  place  to  return  to  from  our  wanderings, 
especially  a  home  to  go  to.  There  is  no  place  like  home,  if  it 
be  small  and  unfashionable.  A  big  house  and  rich  furniture 
and  fashionable  appointments  never  made  a  home.  I  have 
been  so  much  of  a  pilgrim  and  a  stranger  that  I  appreciate  a 
home — only  one  in  all  the  world.  The  more  the  doctors  ex- 
amine my  case  the  more  hopefully  they  speak.  I  see  no  change 
yet,  but  they  say  it  will  come.  I  hope  so.  I  preached  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  Sunday  morning,  and  heard  a 
Congregationalist  minister  in  the  evening.  I  attend  family  wor- 
ship every  morning.  Is  not  that  a  good  example  ?  The  morn- 
ings are  getting  shorter.  Breakfast  hour  comes  quick.  Must 
be  in  time.  The  bell  for  prayers  rings  at  a  quarter  to  eight, 
whether  through  breakfast  or  not. 


CONFERENCE  AT  GREENCASTLE,  IND.      377 

One  more  billetdoux  from  the  Sanitarium.  The  next  I  ex- 
pect to  date  at  107  East  Twenty-fourth  street,  New  York. 
You  know  it  does  not  matter  with  me  where  I  am,  or  how  I 
am,  if  I  only  know  I  am  where  I  ought  to  be  and  doing  what  I 
ought  to  do.  I  have  felt,  since  I  have  been  here,  that  1  was  in 
the  right  place  and  doing  the  right  thing.  That  settles  every 
thing.  Unquestionably  now  it  is  my  duty  to  be  somewhere 
else,  and  I  go  with  cheerfulness.  No  conferring  with  flesh 
and  blood  if  I  know  I  am  right. 

In  September  the  Bishop  met  the  North-west 
Indiana  Conference,  at  Greencastle,  and  the  South- 
east, at  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  Dr.  Smith,  before 
quoted,  speaks  of  an  incident  of  the  session  at 
Greencastle : 

On  the  Sabbath  Dr.  Dashiell  preached  for  the  Bishop  in  the 
university  chapel,  from  the  words,  "  He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned."  Although  the  doctor's  sermon  was  able,  clear,  and 
scriptural,  he  evidently  felt  obliged  to  close,  for  want  of  time, 
without  dwelling  on  the  last  part  of  the  text.  When  the  doc- 
tor was  about  to  take  his  seat  the  Bishop  spoke  out  in  a  very 
decided  manner,  "  Doctor,  we  want  you  to  finish  that  sermon." 
Doctor  Dashiell  proceeded,  and  made  a  stirring  appeal  to  the 
unconverted.  When  the  Bishop  was  about  to  commence  the 
ordination  service  some  one  said,  "  Bishop,  we  want  to  hear 
you  exhort."  And  he  did  exhort  for  twenty  minutes.  It  was 
an  inspiration  and  a  benediction.  Like  peals  of  thunder  and 
flashes  of  lightning  the  truth  fell  upon  the  audience  in  bursts 
of  eloquence  that  made  the  strongholds  of  unbelief  tremble. 
Believers  rejoiced,  many  of  the  preachers  shouted  aloud,  and 
all  felt  that  a  master  in  Israel  was  there,  and  the  mighty  power 
of  God  had  come  upon  them. 

The  Indiana  Conference,  Bishop  Foster  presiding, 
convened  in  Indianapolis  at  the  same  date  with  the 


3/8  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

South-east,  and,  by  previous  arrangement,  a  con- 
vention in  connection  with  these  sessions  was  held 
in  the  interest  of  the  Indiana  Asbury  University. 
"  Bishop  Janes,  at  this  convention,  endeared  himself 
to  all  hearts  by  his  well-chosen  words  in  the  re- 
union, and  his  admirable  address  on  the  subject  of 
Methodist  education." 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Indianapolis,  September  20 : 

I  preached  yesterday  morning  and  ordained  a  class  of  dea- 
cons, and  in  the  afternoon  ordained  a  class  of  elders.  I  sup- 
pose this  is  my  last  day  of  conference  service  for  this  season. 
I  am  thankful  I  have  been  equal  to  all  my  official  duties  during 
the  year.  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  perform  them  until  the 
General  Conference  shall  meet.  God's  will  is  my  will. 

While  an  invalid  at  Clifton  Springs  he  could  not 
resist  the  impulse,  ever  strong  in  him,  to  send  a 
word  of  cheer  and  guidance  to  a  brother  minister 
who  was  struggling  to  raise  a  Church  debt. 

To  the  Rev.  T.  Morris  Terry,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
August  10 : 

I  am  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  making  an  effort  to  relieve 
the  Flatbush  Church  of  a  part,  or  the  whole,  of  its  burdensome 
debt.  I  have  felt  for  years  that  it  ought  to  be  done  and  could 
be  done.  The  Churches  of  Brooklyn  cannot  afford  to  let  it 
be  sacrificed.  I  am  sure  they  will  not  let  it  be  lost.  If  you 
approach  them  lovingly,  and  represent  the  case  fairly  to  them, 
they  will  aid  you.  Do  not  depend  on  committees,  on  collec- 
tions, on  preachers.  Rely  on  God  and  the  people  and  yourself, 
and,  for  Christ's  sake,  do  the  hard  and  disagreeable  work  of 
going  to  the  brothers  and  sisters  and  making  personal  appeals. 
Pray  all  the  time  that  your  faith  fail  not,  and  that  the  hearts  of 


ILLNESS  OF  MRS.  JANES.  379 

the  people  may  be  opened  to  help.     God  will  give  you  the 
victory. 

While  on  the  point  of  sympathy  with  Church- 
debt  paying  and  church  building,  it  may  be  well  to 
give  another  letter,  at  a  little  later  date,  in  the  same 
general  direction. 

To  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Hamilton^  Boston,  Mass.: 

I  am  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  holding  on  to  the  idea  of  a 
church  for  the  masses  in  Boston — a  church  of  such  dimensions 
as  will  make  it  a  great  rallying  point  for  the  people.  Every 
great  city  needs  such  a  church,  I  mean  such  a  Methodist 
church.  It  should  not  be  a  costly  edifice,  but  substantial, 
commodious,  neat,  well  lighted  and  well  ventilated.  Such  a 
church,  well  located  in  Boston,  would  be  a  great  evangelistic 
power.  It  seems  to  me  our  intelligent  men  and  women  in  the 
Churches  and  in  our  congregations  will  appreciate  and  aid 
such  an  enterprise. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  Indiana  the  Bishop 
went  again  to  Clifton,  where  he  hoped  to  be  still 
further  benefited.  While  there  he  received  the  sad 
tidings  of  Mrs.  Janes's  sudden  prostration  by  sick- 
ness at  the  residence  of  their  son,  at  Madison,  N.  J., 
an  illness  which  proved  not  only  protracted,  but 
finally  fatal.  » 

At  the  close  of  the  year  there  came  from  across 
the  water  a  breath  of  tender  sympathy  fro'm  the 
noble-hearted  Dr.  Robinson  Scott,  of  Belfast,  Ire- 
land. 

The  Rev.  Robinson  Scott,  D.D.,  to  Bishop  Janes, 
December  18 : 


380  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

During  dear  Mrs.  Janes's  protracted  and  serious  illness  I 
looked  for  the  "  Advocate  "  weekly  with  prayerful  solicitude, 
and  could  not  but  rejoice  with  you  when  I  learned  she  was 
likely  to  be  spared  a  little  longer  to  you  and  to  the  Church.  I 
trust  the  hopes  now  so  fondly  cherished  will  be  realized.  It 
seems  to  me  that  it  has  been  only  by  the  specially  sustaining 
hand  of  Providence  that  you  have  been  able  to  get  through 
the  amount  of  labor  with  which  I  have  seen  your  name  con- 
nected from  time  to  time.  Your  address  to  the  Preachers' 
Meeting  in  Boston-  did  me  special  good. 

In  the  winter  of  1875-76  the  Bishop  was  closely 
confined  by  the  continued  illness  of  Mrs.  Janes. 
He  did  not  go  from  home  on  long  journeys,  but  in 
and  around  New  York  he  preached  and  worked  as 
his  strength  would  allow.  His  only  Conference  in 
the  spring  was  the  Newark,  March  29-April  5.  On 
leaving  his  invalid  wife  for  this  official  duty  he 
bears  testimony  to  her  unselfish  devotion  to  the 
work  of  God. 

To  Mrs.  Janes,  from  Newark,  N.  J.,  March  29 : 

I  am  at  my  post  of  duty.  You  have  never  prevented  me 
from  going  to  my  work.  Whether  sick  or  well,  you  have  al- 
ways told  me  to  go — sometimes  when  I  knew  it  subjected  you 
to  cares  and  discomforts  of  a  serious  character.  I  can  also 
testify,  that  in  all  possible  ways  you  have  aided  me  in  my  pub- 
lic duties,  and  added  much  to  my  efficiency  as  a  minister  and 
Bishop  of  the  Church.  God  knows  it  all ;  will  understand 
whom  to  recompense.  I  hope  and  pray  that  you  may  have  a 
comfortable  day ! 

The  seventeenth  delegated  General  Conference 
convened  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  on  the  first 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  1876.         381 

day  of  May,  1876.  All  the  Bishops  were  present 
except  Bishop  Wiley,  who  had  been  detained  by 
sickness,  but  afterward,  on  the  tenth  day  of  the 
session,  appeared  and  took  his  seat  with  his  col- 
leagues. 

This  General  Conference,  apart  from  the  meas- 
ures which  were  brought  before  it,  was  of  great  in- 
terest as  occurring  in  the  centennial  year  of  Amer- 
ican Independence,  and  in  the  city  where  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized,  and 
where  it  is  still  noted  for  the  numbers,  piety,  and 
zeal  of  its  adherents. 

It  was  very  hard  for  Bishop  Janes  to  be  absent 
from  Mrs.  Janes,  but  he  regarded  his  official  duties 
as  imperative.  As  the  senior  Bishop  he  felt  that 
the  Church,  at  such  a  time,  needed  his  most  watch- 
ful care.  Daily,  however,  except  he  went  in  person, 
missives  of  cheer  were  dispatched  to  the  sick-room 
in  New  York,  and  Mrs.  Janes  looked  as  regularly 
for  the  sweet  morsel  from  her  husband's  pen  as  for 
her  breakfast.  I  give  extracts  from  these  letters 
from  day  to  day. 

Pausing  at  the  Book  Room  after  he  had  left  his 
home,  he  writes,  April  26 : 

Good  cheer  to  you  !  I  have  not  taken  Jesus  away  from  you. 
Though  he  goes  with  me,  he  abides  with  you,  and  will  do  so 
evermore.  I  am  sorry  to  leave  you  in  your  weakness,  and 
would  not  do  it  but  for  the  great  obligations  that  are  on  me. 
God  smile  on  you  ! 

17 


382  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

From  Baltimore,  April  27: 

Sixty-nine  years  ago  to-day  a  great  event  took  place.  A 
little  boy  baby  cried.  They  named  him  Edmund.  He  grew 
to  be  a  man,  and  is  now  gray-headed.  About  forty-one  years 
ago  he  asked  you  a  certain  question,  and  you  were  so  kind  as 
to  say  "  Yes."  A  few  days  after  the  minister  asked  you  a 
question,  and  you  answered,  "  I  will."  These  are  the  great 
events  in  my  history.  I  don't  remember  much  about  the  first 
one.  The  others  I  remember  all  about.  I  know  just  the  spot 
on  which  each  occurred,  the  manner  of  their  performance,  all 
the  little  incidents  attending  them.  I  have  never  ceased  to  be 
thankful  for  them.  I  send  you  my  sixty-ninth  birthday  kiss. 

April  28 : 

I  have  been  shut  up  with  my  colleagues  and  have  seen  no- 
body as  yet.  To-day  is  our  fast  day.  We  spend  a  part  of  it 
in  a  prayer-meeting :  special  prayer  for  the  divine  blessing  on 
the  General  Conference.  I  offer  special  prayer  for  my  beloved 
ones  at  home  all  the  time. 

April  29 : 

My  draft  of  the  Episcopal  Address  has  been  read  to  my 
colleagues,  and  by  them  approved.  I  intended  to  read  it  to 
you  and  have  your  sharp  criticisms  upon  it  before  I  left  home, 
but  you  were  not  able  to  bear  it.  My  colleagues  modified  it 
very  little.  I  have  added  to  it  a  little.  As  soon  as  it  is  pub- 
lished I  will  send  you  a  copy. 

April  30: 

I  hope  you  will  have  a  comparatively  comfortable  Sunday 
to-morrow.  I  hope  you  will  eat  angels'  food.  I  am  sure  you 
would  if  you  could  hear  Dr.  Chapman  preach  one  of  his  sweet 
sermons.  Prayer  can  bring  the  celestial  banquet  to  you  in  the 
sick  room  if  it  is  offered  in  fervency  and  faith.  God's  presence 
makes  a  sanctuary  every-where. 


LETTERS  TO  MRS.  JANES.  383 

May  i : 

This  morning  our  General  Conference  opened.  It  falls  on 
me  to  preside.  The  organization  of  the  Conference  is  always 
more  or  less  trying  to  the  presiding  officer.  I  hope,  by  God's 
favor,  we  may  have  a  peaceful  and  useful  Conference.  I  wish 
I  knew  just  how  you  are  this  morning.  I  feel  sure  that  your 
trust  in  God  is  unfailing,  and  that  your  peace  and  spiritual  joy 
continue. 

May  2: 

My  burden  of  organizing  the  Conference  is  gone.  It  looks 
now  as  if  the  session  would  not  be  so  long  as  sometimes,  but 
we  cannot  tell  what  debates  may  arise.  I  wish  I  could  kiss 
you  good  morning. 

May  4 : 

The  Address  has  been  read.  It  took  me  about  an  hour  and 
a  half  to  read  it.  The  resolution  adopted  immediately  in  rela- 
tion to  it  will  show  with  what  great  favor  it  was  received. 
No  one  but  the  Lord  knows,  or  can  know,  how  much  study  it 
cost  me.  Nothing  but  my  interest  in  the  Church  could  have 
induced  me  to  perform  the  labor.  It  is  the  last  Address  of 
the  kind  I  shall  ever  write  or  read.  I  am  thankful  God  has  most 
graciously  aided  me  in  preparing  and  delivering  this  one. 

May  5  : 

The  Conference  is  now  discussing  the  Indian  question,  in  some 
respects,  in  my  judgment,  unwisely — more  politically  than  relig- 
iously. General  Fisk  is  now  cooling  them  down.  I  wish  you 
could  be  here  and  hear  them.  Nature  is  putting  on  her  spring 
dress,  green  and  red  and  blue,  very  gay,  but  very  lovely  indeed. 
God's  pictures  are  the  most  beautiful  we  ever  see,  or  ever  shall 
see,  till  we  look  at  the  beauties  of  heaven. 

May  6: 

The  first  week  of  Conference  is  passed.  To-day  we  had 
the  Address  of  the  British  Delegates — very  good.  This  after- 


384  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

noon  Bishop  Ames  gave  me  a  drive  to  the  park  and  to  his 
farm,  five  miles  from  the  city.  The  park  is  very  fine ;  its  nat- 
ural beauties,  I  think,  are  greater  than  our  Central  Park,  but 
it  is  not  much  improved  as  yet.  The  Bishop's  farm  is  a  very 
nice  one.  The  fruit  trees  were  in  full  bloom.  I  wish  you 
could  see  them.  I  know  how  pleasant  a  sight  it  is  to  you  to  see 
an  orchard  in  bloom.  I  presume  the  picture  of  last  spring  has 
not  faded  from  your  mind. 

May  8: 

Another  Sabbath  is  numbered  with  those  before  the  flood. 
Another  Monday  morning  has  dawned,  bringing  its  activities 
and  responsibilities.  So  life  is  being  measured  and  passing 
away.  No  matter  how  fast  it  goes  if  it  is  well  employed,  or 
how  soon  it  ends  if  God  calls  us  to  a  higher  sphere,  and 
brings  us  nearer  to  himself.  I  went  to  church  but  once  yes- 
terday. Heard  Bishop  Bowman  preach  a  good,  earnest,  prac- 
tical sermon  from  Esau  selling  his  birthright.  After  it  I 
administered  the  sacrament  to  a  very  large  number  of  people. 
It  was  a  devout  and  spiritual  service. 

May  9: 

I  wish  you  were  able  to  enjoy  your  former  activity  out  of 
doors.  Perhaps  that  time  may  come  by  next  autumn.  I  am 
thankful  you  have  so  many  indoor  pleasures— sweet  flowers, 
sweet  friends,  sweet  prayers.  These  mitigate  confinement 
and  suffering,  though  they  may  not  remove  them.  God  can 
give  relief.  I  entreat  him  to  do  so. 

May  10 : 

We  can  afford  to  travel  a  long,  weary  road  to  get  to  heaven. 
A  very  short  experience  of  its  joys  will  well  repay  all  the 
struggle  and  pain  endured  on  the  way.  Heaven  will  be  cheap 
at  any  cost  to  us.  Jesus  did  not  pay  any  more  for  it  than  its 
true  value.  If  it  is  worth  the  price  of  his  sufferings  and  blood, 
certainly  it  is  worth  all  we  can  endure  in  its  pursuit.  I  know 


RIVERS  OF  DELIGHT — GOD'S  BANQUET.    385 

that  your  enjoyment  of  the  divine  nature  and  divine  presence 
here  and  now,  give  you  a  richer  apprehension  of  the  heavenly 
world  than  we  can  put  into  words. 

May  1 1  : 

I  awoke  this  morning  with  the  hymn  running  through  my 
mind  which  has  in  it  this  expression,  "Rivers  of  delight." 
The  thought  never  arrested  my  attention  before.  "  Rivers  of 
delight !  "  what  an  expression  !  Celestial  delight— rivers  that 
never  dry.  "  Who  shall  make  them  to  drink  of  the  river  of 
thy  pleasure,  O  Lord ! "  The  pleasure  of  God— a  river  of 
God's  pleasure.  You  have  long  tasted  this  bliss,  it  has  been 
to  you  a  satisfying  portion.  I  doubt  not  you  feel  its  power 
this  morning.  God  bless  you  more  and  more  ! 

May  17: 

I  was  surprised  when  you  told  me  that  the  nine  months  you 
have  been  on  a  bed  of  languishing  and  pain  seemed  so  short 
to  you.  I  supposed  they  seemed  long,  tedious  months. 
Eternity  will  be  without  pain ;  will  that  seem  short  ?  No,  it 
will  neither  seem  short  nor  be  short.  We  shall  never  fear  to 
enter  into  any  pleasure  because  it  will  take  a  portion  of  our 
eternity.  Eternity  has  no  portion  or  parts. 

May  18: 

I  awoke  this  morning  with  this  passage  in  my  mind,  "  He 
brought  me  to  his  banqueting  house,  and  his  banner  over  me 
was  love."  God's  banquet — spiritual  food.  You  have  been 
sitting  at  this  table  of  spiritual  luxuries,  of  heavenly  dainties,  a 
long  time.  It  is  a  royal  banquet.  None  but  God  could  fur- 
nish it.  "  His  banner  over  me  was  love."  Not  an  ensign  of 
authority,  not  an  emblem  of  power,  but  a  banner  of  love. 
Who  but  Jesus  ever  floated  such  a  banner?  Who  but  Jesus 
ever  invited  men  to  a  standard  he  had  stained  with  his  life 
blood?  "I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 
The  cross  is  his  ensign.  Following  this  banner  we  shall  find 
our  latest  foe  under  our  feet  at  last. 


386  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

May  19: 

The  elections  are  mainly  over.  The  great  excitement  of  the 
Conference  is  probably  past.  There  will  be  some  earnest 
debate  on  questions  of  change  in  the  Discipline.  It  does  not 
look  now  that  any  radical  changes  will  be  made  in  our  church 
polity.  The  Bishops  and  delegates  had  a  reception  given 
them  last  night  by  Brother  R.  Stockett  Matthews.  It  was  a 
very  pleasant,  and  1  think  profitable,  occasion. 

May  21  : 

I  preached  this  morning  to  a  large,  intelligent  congregation 
of  colored  people.  1  enjoyed  the  service.  I  preached  on 
"  Walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  comforts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."  It  is  a  hundred  years  to-day  since  the  first  Meth- 
odist Conference  was  held  in  this  city.  They  have  a  centen- 
nial celebration  this  afternoon.  I  am  too  weary  to  attend. 
God  has  made  a  wonderful  history  for  himself  since  that  first 
little  Methodist  Conference  was  held.  I  trust  you  are  having 
a  Sabbath  of  much  spiritual  comfort.  You  worship  in  the 
"  Queen's  Chapel."  God  is  with  us  in  the  closet,  especially 
when  that  closet  is  a  furnace  of  affliction. 

May  24 : 

Yesterday  a  friend  took  me  to  Mount  Olivet  Cemetery, 
where  Bishops  Asbury,  George,  Emory,  and  Waugh  are 
buried ;  also,  Dr.  Robert  Emory  and  a  number  of  our  distin- 
guished ministers.  Strawbriclge  and  Jesse  Lee  are  likewise 
buried  here. 

May  25  : 

Is  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord  new  to  you  this  morning? 
Has  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  risen  upon  you  with  healing  in 
his  beams  ?  Is  it  a  bright,  beautiful  day-time  with  the  soul  ? 
I  trust  so.  The  Conference  to-day  takes  an  excursion  to 
Annapolis.  I  shall  not  go.  I  do  not  believe  in  the  thing ;  and 
if  I  did  it  would  be  too  wearisome  for  me.  I  have  work  enough 
to  employ  me  usefully. 


THE  METHODIST  ARMY.  387 

May  27 : 

I  am  thankful  that  grace  enables  you  to  sustain  your  long- 
continued  afflictions.  Christ  was  made  perfect  through  suffer- 
ing. If  we  suffer  with  him,  we  shall  also  be  glorified  with 
him.  "There  remaineth,  therefore,  a  rest  to  the  people  of 
God."  Not  the  rest  of  sleep,  but  the  rest  of  exemption  from 
all  suffering  and  all  liability  to  sorrow.  To  be  separated  from 
all  evil,  and  removed  beyond  the  reach  of  it,  will  be  a  wonder- 
ful salvation.  But  the  Christian's  heaven  is  not  a  mere  nega- 
tive one.  It  is  also  the  possession  of  all  perfection  and  all 
bliss.  With  God — like  Jesus— that  is  heaven. 

May  29 : 

Another  holy  Sabbath  is  passed.  I  preached  in  the  morn- 
ing in  Bethany  Church,  an  Independent  Methodist  Church. 
To  me  it  was  a  profitable  service.  I  preached  Christ  cruci- 
fied. The  Conference  on  Saturday  voted  on  the  Presiding 
Elder  Question.  The  conservative  men  were  found  to  be  in 
the  majority.  This  was  satisfactory  to  me  and  the  conserva- 
tive portion  of  the  Conference.  I  do  not  think  there  has  been 
so  important  a  vote  in  any  General  Conference  since  1844. 

June  2 : 

I  once  more  greet  you  from  the  head-quarters  of  the  army 
of  Methodism.  The  forces  are  scattered  in  every  direction. 
The  chief  officers  are  planning  for  the  campaign  :  I  pray  that 
it  may  be  one  of  signal  success.  I  expect  to  be  at  the  domes- 
tic head-quarters  to-morrow. 

It  was  well  understood  by  the  members  of  the 
Conference  that  the  Episcopal  Address  was  chiefly 
the  production  of  Bishop  Janes.  Rarely  has  any 
document  in  any  assembly  been  listened  to  with 
more  profound  respect  and  attention.  All  felt  that 
it  was  likely  the  last  authoritative  utterance  of  a 


388  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Bishop  who  had  studied  and  loved  and  served  the 
Church  for  so  long  a  period,  and  with  an  absorp- 
tion which  knew  no  bounds.  The  document  was 
worthy  of  the  man  and  of  the  Church  of  whose 
polity  and  mission  it  was  an  exposition.  Never 
had  Bishop  Janes  stood  higher  with  his  brethren 
than  at  the  conclusion  of  its  delivery.  It  was  con- 
ceded to  be  equal  to  any  effort  of  his  life.  Though 
he  was  now  threescore  years  and  ten,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  his  eye  was  not  dim  nor  his  natural  force 
abated.  The  record  contained  in  these  pages  would 
be  far  from  complete  unless  the  concluding  para- 
graphs of  this  noble  deliverance,  into  which  his  soul 
was  wrought,  should  have  a  place : 

The  true  Church  has  always  preached  the  Gospel  to  the 
poor.  This  has  been  characteristic  of  Methodism  throughout 
its  history.  It  is  not  only  Christ-like,  but  it  is  expedient. 
The  Church  which  preaches  to  most  of  the  poor  of  this  gener- 
ation, other  things  being  equal,  will  preach  to  most  of  the  rich 
in  the  next  generation.  While  we  have  not  been  inattentive  to 
the  pastoral  and  spiritual  interests  of  the  more  wealthy  of 
our  congregations,  we  have  been  especially  desirous  to  provide 
for  the  religious  necessities  of  the  poor ;  hence  the  new  and 
more  needy  parts  of  the  work  have  received  our  especial  con- 
sideration and  care. 

While  it  is  proper  that  every  government  should,  in  its  or- 
ganic law,  make  provision  for  changes  which  may  become 
necessary,  and  prescribe  the  method  of  effecting  the  same, 
yet  it  appears  to  us  a  monstrous  absurdity  that  any  govern- 
ment, civil,  military,  or  ecclesiastical,  should  allow  men  to 
whom  the  administration  of  its  affairs  has  been  intrusted  to 
use  their  office,  or  executive  authority,  or  opportunity,  to  over- 


EPISCOPAL  ADDRESS.  389 

throw  or  modify  the  same.  We,  therefore,  have  resisted  the 
pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  us  since  the  last  General  Con- 
ference, which  sought  to  induce  us  to  restrict  our  labors  and 
administration  to  Episcopal  districts,  and  have  continued  to 
meet  the  explicit  requirement  of  the  Discipline  to  travel 
through  the  connection  at  large.  We  regard  it  a  very  gross 
solecism  to  say  that  a  districted  Bishop  is  an  itinerant  general 
superintendent.  On  this  subject  the  Bishops,  in  their  Address 
to  the  General  Conference  of  1852,  spoke  more  at  length. 

Perhaps  our  office  and  work  lead  us  to  think  more  about  the 
future  of  the  Church  than  we  would  do  but  for  our  special 
duties.  Be  this  as  it  may,  whenever  we  meet  for  consultation, 
it  is  a  subject  of  intense  interest,  of  earnest  and  prayerful  con- 
sideration and  study.  When  we  contemplate  the  great  num- 
ber of  her  ministers  and  members,  the  perfectness  and  power 
of  her  organization,  her  vast  resources  of  men  and  money,  her 
educational  and  publishing  facilities  and  arrangements,  the 
vantage  ground  she  occupies  by  her  strategic  positions  in  so 
many  of  the  nations  of  the  earth,  the  gracious  manner  in  which 
God  has  blessed  and  prospered  her  in  the  past,  his  infinite 
readiness  to  bless  her  still  more  abundantly  in  the  future,  and 
the  grandeur  of  her  possibilities  in  the  time  to  come,  we  are 
overwhelmed  with  the  weight  of  our  responsibilities  in  super- 
intending such  immense  interests.  At  the  same  time,  this  glo- 
rious prospect  of  the  advancement  and  achievements  of  the 
Church  in  her  coming  history  is  an  inspiration  to  us  to  call 
mightily  on  God  to  help  us,  and  to  go  forward  in  the  faithful 
discharge  of  our  important  duties. 

For  the  reason  given  before,  we  have  judged  it  due  to  our- 
selves, to  the  General  Conference,  to  which  we  are  amenable, 
to  the  whole  Church,  indeed  to  the  Christian  public,  that  with 
the  utmost  frankness  and  candor  we  should  make  this  declara- 
tion of  the  principles,  sentiments,  and  purposes  which  have 
constrained,  and  guided,  and  governed  us  in  our  official  duties, 
and  in  meeting  the  grave  responsibilities  which  have  rested 
upon  us. 

You  will  infer  from  this  statement,  and  the  Church  will  infer 

17* 


3QO  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

from  it  also,  that  your  Bishops  have  not  considered  themselves 
Church  architects  employed  to  examine  an  antiquated  and 
dilapidated  edifice,  and  to  show  how  it  can  be  remodeled  and 
modernized  and  improved  ;  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  they  have 
understood  themselves  called  to  be  general  superintendents  of 
a  glorious  temple,  its  walls  salvation  and  its  gates  praise  ;  a 
temple  built  by  God ;  built  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  built  for 
the  ages ;  that  it  is  their  office  and  work  to  see  that  its  doors 
stand  open  night  and  day ;  that  its  light  is  shining  clear,  and 
strong,  and  afar ;  that  its  voice  of  instruction,  and  admoni- 
tion, and  invitation,  and  entreaty,  is  breaking  upon  the  ear  of 
humanity  every-where  and  all  the  time  ;  that  its  altars  are  all 
aglow  with  the  fervors  of  love  and  the  fires  of  devotion,  con- 
verts flying  as  a  cloud  and  as  doves  to  their  windows ;  all  na- 
tions flowing  into  it,  and  the  glory  of  Immanuel  filling  it. 

The  correspondence  of  the  Bishop  from  Balti- 
more shows  the  intense  interest  which  he  felt  in  the 
"  presiding-elder  question."  This  was  the  principal 
issue  before  the  Conference.  The  question  of  a 
readjustment  of  the  presiding  eldership  has,  from 
time  to  time,  agitated  the  Church  from  its  origin. 
The  agitation  for  change  had  been  going  forward 
for  the  preceding  four  years,  and  culminated  at  this 
Conference  in  a  proposition  so  to  modify  the  office 
as  to  give  the  Annual  Conferences  power  to  nomi- 
nate the  men  whom  the  Bishops  should  appoint. 
Many  members  of  the  Conference  were  of  the  opin- 
ion that  such  a  modification  would  be  wholesome, 
and  would  in  no  sense  impair  the  efficiency  of  the 
appointing  power.  It  was  well  understood  that  the 
Bishops  were  averse  to  the  change.  Bishop  Janes, 
in  common  with  his  colleagues,  deprecated  it.  We 


FRATERNIZATION  ACCOMPLISHED.        391 

have  seen  how  well  satisfied  he  was  with  the  failure 
of  the  proposition. 

The  next  most  absorbing  matter  with  the  Bishop 
was  that  of  fraternization  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South  ;  and  few  hours  of  his  life 
gave  him  more  pleasure  than  that  in  which  he  in- 
troduced to  the  Conference  the  Rev.  James  A.  Dun- 
can, D.D.,  and  Landon  C.  Garland,  LL.D.,  fraternal 
delegates  from  that  Church.  Thus  the  chasm  be- 
tween the  two  great  Methodisms  of  America,  which 
had  yawned  for  thirty-two  years,  was  spanned,  and 
he  who  was  the  only  surviving  Bishop  elected  by  the 
two  sections  of  the  Church  before  the  separation, 
was  allowed  to  preside  at  the  happy  consummation. 

By  resolution  of  the  Conference  a  commission  of 
five,  three  ministers  and  two  laymen,  was  appointed 
to  meet  a  similar  commission  from  the  Church 
South  to  adjust  all  existing  difficulties  between  the 
two  Churches.  These  commissioners  subsequently 
met  at  Cape  May,  August  17,  and  adopted  a  plan 
of  settlement  which  has  done  much  to  promote 
actual  as  well  as  formal  fraternity  between  the  two 
great  bodies.  Bishop  Janes  lived  long  enough  to 
rejoice  in  this  result.  A  tradition  floats  in  my 
recollection  that  one  of  our  commissioners  said  to 
the  Bishop,  in  speaking  of  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  settlement,  "  What,  Bishop,  if  we  can't 
agree?"  "You  must  pray  until  you  do  agree," 
was  the  quick  and  emphatic  response. 


392  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

Upon  the  adjournment  of  the  General  Conference 
the  Bishop  hastened  to  his  invalid  wife.  After  a 
week  or  two  he  is  found  for  a  few  days  at  the  Round 
Lake  camp-meeting. 

To  Mrs.  C.  E.  Harris,  from  New  York,  July  2  : 

I  had  a  pleasant  time  at  the  Round  Lake  camp-meeting.  I 
returned  on  Tuesday  night.  Dear  mother  continues  about  the 
same.  God's  ways  are  indeed  mysterious.  Why  your  precious 
mother,  one  of  the  most  devoted,  godly  Christian  women, 
should  be  called  to  such  great  distress  in  the  last  period  of 
life  is  wonderful.  If  we  looked  only  at  the  outward  and  pres- 
ent circumstances  of  God's  children  we  should  be  led  inevit- 
ably to  inquire,  "  What  is  the  Almighty,  that  we  should  serve 
him  ?  "  etc.  But  we  have  further  knowledge.  We  know  that 
God  is  love.  We  know  his  wisdom  is  absolute.  His  reason 
for  cleansing  his  people  in  the  furnace  of  affliction  will  not  al- 
ways be  a  secret.  I  have  no  doubt  when  it  is  clearly  revealed 
we  shall  shout  "  Hallelujah  ! "  with  all  our  immortal  powers. 
Eternity  will  not  be  a  struggle  of  faith,  but  a  fruition  of  vision. 
How  your  dear  mother  has  been  divinely  supported  !  She 
could  never  have  endured  her  sufferings  but  for  her  spiritual 
comforts.  God  does  not  leave  nor  forsake  those  that  trust  in 
him. 

To  the  same,  from  New  York,  July  9  : 

Your  mother  is  fully  ripe  for  heaven.  She  longs  to  depart 
to  be  with  Jesus.  Though  filled  with  the  anticipation  of 
heaven,  indeed  with  the  realization  of  heaven,  she  does  not 
repine  at  her  protracted  sufferings.  She  repeatedly  says, 
"  Good  is  the  will  of  the  Lord."  His  time  is  her  time. 

The  Bishop  met  the  Delaware  Conference  at 
Philadelphia,  July  20-24.  Thence  he  writes  Mrs. 
Janes,  on  the  2ist : 


His  LAST  CONFERENCE.  393 

Another  day's  work  is  done.  It  has  been  a  day  of  trial  and 
care,  and,  I  hope,  of  some  usefulness.  I  wish  I  knew  how  you 
are  to-night.  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  get  some  good,  re- 
freshing sleep.  I  hope  the  worst  of  the  hot  season  is  past. 
The  atmosphere  of  heaven  will  always  be  perfectly  delicious. 
No  excess — no  lack — just  right. 

This  was  the  last  Conference  the  Bishop  held. 
His  official  work  of  "  fixing  "  the  appointments  was 
to  close  with  the  poor  and  lowly  brethren  of  color. 
He  had  met  the  Washington  and  Delaware  Confer- 
ences more  frequently  than  any  other  Bishop,  and 
none  of  the  board  felt  a  kindlier  and  more  tender 
sympathy  with  these  bodies  than  he.  The  Rev.  J. 
Emory  Round,  A.M.,  who  was  present  at  this  Con- 
ference, thus  speaks  of  it : 

This  Conference,  as  is  generally  known,  consists  entirely  of 
colored  men.  He  attended  to  all  his  duties  with  the  same 
patience  and  carefulness  as  ever.  I  remember  the  occasion 
the  more  clearly  because  it  was  the  first  time  that  any  of  my 
own  sons  in  the  Gospel  (from  the  Centenary  Biblical  Institute) 
were  set  apart  to  the  ministry.  Very  few  suspected  him  to  be 
in  physical  distress  until  just  before  the  close  of  the  confer- 
ence session,  when  he  asked  the  presiding  elders  to  call  on 
him  the  next  morning  that  he  might  sign  their  drafts  on  the 
missionary  treasury,  adding,  "  I  cannot  attend  to  it  to-night ; 
I  am  in  too  great  pain."  Yet  on  that  very  afternoon  he  had 
been  present  with  the  Conference  to  have  a  photograph  taken 
of  the  body,  enduring  a  long  and  most  vexatious  delay,  at 
which  he  was  probably  the  only  one  that  did  not  utter  a  word 
of  complaint.  After  making  the  above  request,  all  of  the  con- 
cluding exercises  of  the  Conference  were  likewise  conducted 
with  no  more  haste  than  usual.  After  adjournment  I  ex- 
claimed, "I  wonder  what  Bishop  Janes  will  do  when  he  is 


394  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

compelled  to  stop  work."  adding,  after  a  moment's  reflection, 
"I  think  when  he  cannot  labor  he  will  be  unable  to  live;"  a 
prediction  that  was  very  speedily  fulfilled. 

Bishop  Janes's  most  intimate  friends  knew  that,  so  far  as  any 
part  of  the  work  of  the  Church  could  be  regarded  as  an  object  of 
especial  interest  by  him,  his  specialty  was  the  work  among  the 
colored  people.  He  usually,  however,  escaped  eulogy  on  this 
account,  as  his  interest  in  every  department  of  Christian  effort 
was  so  great  that  his  especial  devotion  to  this  one  never  at- 
tracted general  attention. 

A  great  change  was  fast  drawing  nigh  in  the 
Bishop's  household.  Mrs.  Janes  was  perceptibly 
failing,  so  that  he  rarely  left  the  house.  Once  he 
went  down  to  the  Jersey  sea-shore  to  dedicate  two 
churches,  one  named  in  honor  of  himself;  where 
besides,  I  know  not,  but  certainly  not  often  nor  far 
did  he  go  from  home.  On  Sunday  evening,  Au- 
gust 13,  his  saintly  wife  entered  into  rest.  Her 
funeral  services  took  place  at  the  residence,  in  East 
Twenty- fourth-street,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  i6th, 
conducted  by  the  devoted  friend  and  pastor  of  the 
family,  Rev.  J.  A.  M.  Chapman,  D.D. 

These  pages  have  given  evidence  from  first  to 
last  of  the  pure  conjugal  love  which  subsisted  be- 
tween the  Bishop  and  his  wife.  Through  forty-one 
years  they  had  cherished  an  unfaltering  and  ever- 
deepening  affection  for  one  another,  and  were  help- 
ful of  each  other's  faith  and  usefulness.  The 
amount  and  character  of  the  service  he  was  enabled 
to  perform  was  not  a  little  due  to  her.  The  Church 
saw  his  work,  much  of  it  at  least ;  but  did  not  see, 


CHARACTER  OF  MRS.  JANES.  395 

save  the  few  who  intimately  knew  her,  the  life  of. 
faith,  zeal,  and  self-sacrifice  at  home,  which  in  its 
wealth  of  gentle  and  untiring  service  gave  the  leis- 
ure and  supplied  the  resources  of  the  great  worker. 
Though  always  of  feeble  physical  health,  she  never 
detained  her  husband  from  his  official  duties  either 
to  nurse  herself  or  to  care  for  the  children.  She 
exemplified  in  the  family  circle  the  homelier  vir- 
tues which  rendered  that  circle  the  charm  of  her 
itinerating  husband  and  the  delight  of  her  children 
and  friends.  And  if  any  who  were  only  distantly 
acquainted  with  her  supposed  she  was  reserved  and 
severe,  they  greatly  misunderstood  her  nature.  A 
more  genial,  playful  disposition  was  never  pos- 
sessed than  hers.  Evidently  her  original  sportive- 
ness  had  been  much  repressed  by  her  earlier,  strict- 
er views  of  religion ;  but  later  in  life  the  virgin 
spring  would  bubble  up,  much  to  the  joy  and  some- 
times even  to  the  entertainment  of  those  about  her. 
I  doubt  if  there  ever  was  a  more  truly  religious 
woman  than  Mrs.  Janes.  Her  insight  into  spir- 
itual truth  was  more  clear  and  correct  than  that  of 
any  lady  whom  I  have  known.  Her  own  con- 
sciousness, in  which  she  had  sounded  the  depths 
of  the  perfect  love  of  God,  threw  a  flood  of  light 
on  every  subject  of  which  she  spoke.  This  was 
true  of  her  public  exercises,  in  the  social  devotional 
meetings,  but  eminently  so  of  her  private  talks.  I 
was  accustomed,  when  her  pastor,  often  to  call  on 


396  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

her  on  Saturday  afternoons,  that  I  might  be  en- 
lightened and  inspirited  by  her  judicious  and  ele- 
vating conversation.  I  think  all  her  pastors  felt 
much  the  same.  Her  incisive,  subtle  intellect 
would  lay  open  the  most  abstruse  question  of  the 
Christian  life ;  while  her  faith,  always  supreme, 
would  lift  the  discouraged  out  of  the  shadows  of 
doubt  and  fear.  Her  calm  and  wide  views  of  God 
and  his  ways  afforded  anchorage  for  the  weary  and 
tossed  believer  of  every  degree  of  culture ;  the 
high  and  low  could  alike  find  a  haven  of  spiritual 
rest  by  her  side. 

And  no  one  appreciated  so  highly  the  vigor  of 
her  intellect,  the  fullness  of  her  mental  resources, 
and  the  delicacy  and  purity  of  her  taste,  as  her  hus- 
band. We  have  seen  how  he  wished  to  submit  the 
Episcopal  Address  to  her  judgment :  "  I  intended 
to  read  it  to  you  and  have  your  sharp  criticism 
upon  it,  but  you  were  not  able  to  bear  it."  But 
how  often  such  processes  had  taken  place,  especial- 
ly in  the  earlier  years  of  the  Bishop,  is  not  known. 
It  is  fair  to  infer  they  were  frequent,  and  possibly 
systematic,  and  that  they  account  in  no  small  de- 
gree for  the  uniform  fertility  and  adaptation  with 
which  he  met  all  occasions.  While,  therefore,  ac- 
cepting as  the  suitable  sphere  for  herself,  her  home, 
and  the  religious  and  benevolent  work  of  the 
Church,  she  might  equally  have  excelled  in  the 
more  conspicuous  walks  of  life. 


A  PICTURE.  397 

The  following  graceful  and  loving  tribute  to  Mrs. 
Janes  was  written  by  her  friend,  Mrs.  Mary  Lowe 
Dickinson,  soon  after  Mrs.  Janes's  death  : 

A  PICTURE. 

Just  as  sweetly  as  fades  the  light 

After  the  sun  is  gone, 
Just  as  gently  as  through  the  night 

The  steady  stars  shine  on, 
Just  as  softly  as  spring  leaves  come, 

Or  snow-flakes  whiten  the  sod, 
Passed  she  out  from  an  earthly  home 

Into  the  home  of  God. 

Never  the  rays  of  moon  or  sun 

Fell  on  her  face  that  day, 
And  only  a  heavenly  artist's  hand 

Could  have  left  such  light  on  clay. 
We  knew  that  angel  hands  had  wrought 

Each  day  at  the  soul  within, 
With  loving  touches  of  prayer  and  thought 

Hiding  each  trace  of  sin  ; 

Sweeping  the  heavy  shade  of  pain 

Over  the  smile  of  her  face, 
And  leaving  the  gleam  of  a  Father's  love 

And  the  light  of  the  cross  in  its  place. 
And  so  it  was — their  sweet  work  done — 

When  the  Master  hade  them  cease 
There  was  left  for  our  eyes  to  gaze  upon 

This  beautiful  picture  of  peace. 

The  Bishop  never  seemed  fully  the  same  after 
she  was  taken  from  him.  He  went  about  attending 
to  the  claims  of  his  office  as  strength  and  circum- 
stances would  allow,  but  there  was  a  subdued,  pen- 


398  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

sive  tone  and  manner  in  all  that  he  did.  Evidently 
the  spell  of  his  earthly  life  was  broken.  The  pres- 
ence which  made  home  had  fled,  and  to  find  home 
he  must  follow  it.  And  very  quickly  he  did. 

The  last  sermon  he  preached  was  in  the  little 
church  at  Maplewood,  N.  J.,  of  which  his  son,  the 
Rev.  Lewis  T.  Janes,  was  the  pastor.  He  was  the 
guest,  at  the  time,  of  Mr.  D.  H.  Carpenter,  to  whom 
I  am  indebted  for  an  account  of  the  services  and 
some  of  the  attendant  circumstances  : 

A  few  days  before  the  Sabbath  above  mentioned  the  writer 
received  a  note  stating  that  the  Bishop  would  be  present  with 
us,  and  would  preach  in  our  little  church  on  the  next  Sabbath, 
August  27.  He  came  to  my  house  on  Saturday  afternoon, 
and  with  his  son,  our  pastor,  spent  the  Sabbath. 

On  Sunday  morning,  at  family  worship,  I  read  for  our  Script- 
ure lesson  the  Ninetieth  Psalm.  I  did  not  purposely  make  this 
selection,  but  remember  full  well,  as  I  read  the  verse,  "  The 
days  of  our  years  are  threescore  years  and  ten,"  the  quiet 
glance — cheerful,  peaceful,  happy — which  met  my  eye,  as  for  a 
moment  I  looked  up  from  the  sacred  page.  At  the  service  in 
the  morning  he  read  and  prayed  with  much  fervency,  and  his 
sermon  was  listened  to  with  the  deepest  attention.  On  his 
return  from  church  he  seemed  quite  fatigued,  and  after  dinner 
lay  down  awhile. 

My  little  girl  had,  from  the  first,  made  friends  with  him,  he 
bidding  her  call  him  "  grandpa."  While  he  was  in  his  room 
she  slipped  away  from  her  mother  and  must  have  crept  up  to 
the  room  of  the  Bishop,  and,  before  she  was  missed,  he  came 
down-stairs  with  little  Mabel  riding  on  his  shoulders  "  a  la 
pick-back,"  and  it  was  hard  to  tell  which  was  most  pleased,  the 
Bishop  or  the  child.  At  this  time,  seemingly  referring  to  our 
morning  psalm,  he  said  :  "  I  am  not  yet  quite  threescore  and 


LAST  ILLNESS  OF  BISHOP  JANES.         399 

ten.  I  preached  in  this  church  in  1832,  and  have  traveled 
thousands  of  miles  since,  yet  have  never  forgotten  my  early 
days  on  this  circuit  and  the  rides  through  this  beautiful  val- 
ley." His  memory  seemed  very  good,  and  he  apparently  re- 
called these  scenes  of  his  early  ministry  with  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure,  albeit  acknowledging  that  they  were  days  of  phys- 
ical hardship. 

At  the  evening  service  in  the  church  he  made  the  opening 
prayer,  and  was  so  much  affected  that  the  tears  coursed  down 
his  cheeks.  One  of  the  audience  afterward  said  to  me,  that 
that  was  the  grandest  prayer  he  ever  listened  to.  He  then 
took  the  large  Bible  from  the  desk,  and,  holding  it  up  before 
him,  read,  in  clearest  tone,  the  fifth  chapter  of  second  Corin- 
thians, "  For  we  know  that,  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  taber- 
nacle were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,"  etc.,  taking 
for  his  text  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  verses  of  the  same 
chapter.  Of  this  sermon  I  will  only  say,  had  Bishop  Janes 
known  that  this  was  his  last  opportunity  "  to  preach  Christ 
crucified,"  I  doubt  if  he  could  have  preached  more  earnestly, 
more  feelingly,  or  with  greater  eloquence. 

He  returned  to  New  York  on  Wednesday  morn- 
ing, stopping  at  the  Book  Room,  as  was  his  custom, 
to  get  his  mail.  After  reaching  home  he  was  taken 
suddenly  and  violently  ill  with  a  recurrence  of  the 
disease  with  which  he  had  several  times  before 
suffered.  For  more  than  two  weeks  the  disease 
continued  without  abatement,  baffling  all  medical 
and  surgical  skill.  All  the  while  his  pain  was  so 
excruciating  that  he  could  not  converse,  paroxysm 
following  paroxysm,  so  as  to  preclude  connected 
conversation.  Once,  while  lying  on  the  couch  and 
there  was  a  moment  of  comparative  ease,  as  his 
daughters  knelt  by  him,  opening  his  eyes  he  said, 


400  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

"  My  angels!"  Frequently,  when  all  was  still  in 
the  room  and  he  was  thought  to  be  asleep,  he  might 
be  heard  breaking  forth  into  ejaculatory  prayer. 
He  asked  for  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  of 
hymns,  and  would  listen  with  rapt  attention.  To 
the  prayers  of  Dr.  Chapman  he  would  fervently 
respond,  and,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  would  say, 
"  Pastor,  I  thank  you."  Beyond  this  he  spoke  but 
little. 

On  Sunday,  at  midnight,  his  son-in-law,  stooping 
over  him,  said,  "  Bishop,  say  something  to  us — 
some  parting  word."  His  brief  reply  was,  "  I  am 
not  disappointed."  On  Monday  morning  a  letter 
was  sent  to  the  Preachers'  Meeting  communicating 
the  fact  that  he  was  dying.  Several  of  the  minis- 
ters came  to  the  house,  and  the  Rev.  M.  D'C.  Craw- 
ford, D.D.,  offered  prayer  by  the  sick-bed.  By 
noon  all  was  over.  Bishop  Janes  had  ceased  from 
his  earthly  toil  and  suffering,  and  was  present  with 
the  Lord.  He  died  September  18,  1876,  in  his 
seventieth  year.  He  was  for  forty-six  years  a  min- 
ister, and  thirty-two  years  a  Bishop,  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church. 

The  funeral  services  took  place  from  St.  Paul's 
Church,  on  Fourth  Avenue,  on  Thursday,  the  2ist. 
The  large  church  was  thronged  with  a  multitude  of 
weeping  people.  The  prayer  was  offered  by  the 
Rev.  C.  D.  Foss,  D.D.,  and  addresses  were  delivered 
by  Rev.  J.  A.  M.  Chapman,  D.D. ;  the  Rev.  R.  L. 


FUNERAL  SERVICES.  401 

Dashiell,  D.D. ;  the  Rev.  Bishop  Scott ;  and  Rev. 
Bishop  Simpson. 

Dr.  Chapman  spoke  as  follows  : 

The  character  of  Bishop  Janes  was  so  full  and  round,  so 
symmetrical  and  harmonious,  its  diverse  elements  and  powers 
so  well  balanced,  he  carried  himself  in  such  perfect  equipoise, 
was  so  completely  the  master  of  himself,  that  we  are  not  fully 
aware  of  his  real  greatness,  the  rare  wealth  of  his  mental  and 
moral  endowment  and  attainments,  until  we  attempt  an  anal- 
ysis of  his  character.  He  possessed  an  intellect  of  a  very  high 
order,  capable  of  grappling  with  the  profoundest  and  most 
abstruse  subjects,  of  the  broadest  generalization,  of  the  most 
subtle  analysis,  logical  in  its  processes,  clear  in  its  perceptions, 
thorough  in  its  mastery  of  subjects,  which,  together  with  a 
varied  and  accurate  scholarship,  enabled  him  to  present  his 
thoughts  with  great  transparency,  and  made  his  impromptu 
deliverances  almost  as  chaste  and  finished  as  his  more  carefully 
prepared  efforts.  His  mental  furnishing  was  so  thorough  and 
complete,  his  memory  so  tenacious,  and  his  versatility  of  talent 
so  great,  that  he  was  able  to  meet  any  emergency  or  respond 
to  the  demands  of  any  occasion,  however  sudden  or  unexpected, 
and  to  do  himself,  the  subject,  and  the  occasion  ample  justice. 
His  ability  to  see  and  master  subjects  thoroughly  made  his 
statements  of  truth  so  clear  and  accurate  and  sharply  defined, 
that  the  hearer  or  reader  found  no  difficulty  in  apprehending 
his  views  of  any  theme  he  discussed.  While  never  undervalu- 
ing the  aid  of  oratory,  rhetoric,  and  elocution,  constantly  using 
them  with  great  skill  and  force,  and  while  his  style  was  not 
wanting  in  the  ornaments  of  a  chaste  and  fertile  imagination, 
culled  from  the  varied  fields  of  learning  and  thought,  yet  he 
depended  chiefly  upon  the  truth  and  spirit  of  the  Gospel  for 
success  in  the  ministrations  of  God's  word.  His  intellectual 
conceptions  of  the  great  doctrinal  truths  of  Christianity,  and 
his  deep,  rich  experience  of  their  power  and  blessedness,  ren- 
dered him  impatient  of  that  so-called  liberalism  that  is  giving 


402  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

to  the  world  a  diluted  theology,  a  superficial  experience,  and  a 
powerless  religion.  He  believed  that  the  Gospel,  as  announced 
by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  constituted  the  best  theme  of  pulpit 
discourse  ;  and,  while  not  unmindful  of  the  bearings  of  theology 
upon  the  great  speculative  and  practical  questions  of  the  age, 
he,  nevertheless,  was  pre-eminently  a  preacher  of  the  word. 
To  him  the  Christian  religion  was  something  more  than  a 
creed,  more  than  a  system  of  ethics,  more  than  a  ceremonial, 
more  than  a  sentiment.  It  was  a  divine  life,  and  took  hold  of 
the  very  springs  of  his  being.  It  was  a  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  and  in  the  human  soul  ;  and  so  he  held,  with  a  te- 
nacity born  of  the  most  intelligent  conviction  and  the  deepest 
and  richest  experience,  to  the  old  fundamental  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  believing  that  the  hope  of  the  world  was  wrapped 
up  in  them. 

Bishop  Janes  was  endowed  with  a  peculiarly  warm,  tender, 
sympathetic,  loving  nature,  that  shone  out  in  his  whole  official 
and  private  life,  shedding  a  soft,  mellow,  beautiful  light  over  it 
all.  He  carried  his  Conferences  upon  his  heart,  listening  pa- 
tiently and  with  the  profoundest  sympathy  to  the  grievances' 
hardships,  and  sacrifices  of  pastors  and  people,  doing  all  that 
careful  thought  and  earnest  prayer  could  do  to  lighten  the 
burdens  of  the  itinerancy  and  relieve  the  feelings  of  the  itinerant 
and  his  family.  I  am  safe  in  saying  in  this  presence,  that 
Bishop  Janes  never  read  the  appointments  at  the  close  of  a 
Conference  over  which  he  presided,  which  had  not  been  consci- 
entiously and  prayerfully  made,  not  only  with  reference  to  the 
interests  of  the  Church  and  the  work  of  God,  but  with  the  ten- 
derest  and  most  brotherly  regard  to  the  feelings  and  welfare 
of  each  minister  and  his  family.  Who  ever  came  to  Bishop 
Janes  in  trouble  for  sympathy  and  counsel,  and  was  repulsed  ? 
Who  ever  came  to  Bishop  Janes  with  any  burden,  and  did  not 
go  away  with  a  lighter  heart,  at  least,  because  of  his  tender, 
considerate,  loving  sympathy  ?  Bishop  Janes  was  the  preach- 
er's friend  ;  he  was  the  layman's  friend  ;  he  was  the  friend  of 
man,  every-where  and  always.  Who  was  in  sorrow  and  af- 
fliction, and  his  heart  was  not  touched  ?  How  many  homes, 


FUNERAL  SERVICES.  403 

and  how  many  hearts,  in  the  dark  night  of  sorrow  and  bereave- 
ment, were  cheered  by  his  saintly  presence,  or  by  those  tender, 
loving  letters  of  sympathy  and  condolence  which  he  alone  could 
write  !  His  quiet,  kind,  loving  nature  contributed  much  to 
make  his  own  home  one  of  rare  beauty  and  attraction.  There, 
as  every-where,  he  was  the  perfect  gentleman,  courteous,  high- 
toned  ;  but  in  his  own  home  there  was  a  freshness  and  simplic- 
ity of  affection  that  neither  the  burden  of  public  life  and  high 
position,  nor  the  weight  of  increasing  years,  suppressed  or  even 
chilled.  ...  It  was  my  privilege  frequently  to  visit  him  during 
his  sickness.  Almost  always  he  would  request  me  to  pray 
with  him,  and  on  such  occasions  he  would  respond  with  a 
hearty  "  Amen."  His  sufferings  and  weakness  were  so  great 
that  he  could  converse  but  little.  He  said  to  me  one  day,  be- 
tween his  paroxysms  of  pain,  "  The  mission  of  life  seems  to 
be  to  work  and  to  suffer."  At  another  time  he  said,  "  I  do 
not  know  what  I  should  do  without  Christ."  And  Christ  was 
a  great  deal  to  him. 

When  asked  if  Jesus  was  precious,  he  replied,  "O  yes;" 
and  when  the  beautiful  words  of  the  psalmist  were  repeated, 
"  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I 
will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with  me  ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff 
they  comfort  me,"  he  responded,  "  Beautiful,"  the  full  signifi- 
cance of  which  he  was  then  triumphantly  realizing.  So  passed 
away  one  of  the  noblest  men  God  ever  gave  to  the  Church, 
and  so  ended  one  of  the  most  perfect  lives  that  has  ever 
blessed  the  world.  I  have  a  fancy— it  may  be  only  a  fancy- 
that  when  Christ  called  his  original  college  of  apostles  he  un- 
folded his  Gospel,  analyzed  it,  and  let  each  disciple  represent 
an  element.  But  when  he  called  Paul,  the  great  Apostle  to  the 
Gentiles,  he  put  it  together,  and  gave  it  to  us  in  him  embodied. 
In  the  first  he  spelled  Christianity  to  the  world,  in  the  last  he 
pronounced  it  for  the  world  ;  and  in  the  character  and  life  of 
few  men  in  the  history  of  the  Church  has  the  Gospel— the 
whole  Gospel — been  so  clearly,  fully,  and  distinctly  pronounced 
as  in  the  life  and  character  of  our  lamented  Bishop.  He 
was  as  practical  as  James,  as  intense  as  Peter,  as  tender  and 


404  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

loving  as  John,  as  many-sided  and  comprehensive  as  Paul. 
Truly  "A  prince  and  a  great  man  has  fallen  in  Israel."  And 
the  great  heart  of  the  Church  beats  sadly,  sorrowfully,  at  the 
portals  of  his  grave. 

In  his  address  Dr.  Dashiell  spoke  of  Bishop  Janes 
in  his  relation  to  the  missionary  work : 

Bishop  Janes,  in  his  relation  to  the  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  embraced  almost  its  entire  history 
and  work.  The  cause  of  Christian  missions  was  always  first 
upon  his  heart ;  and  long  before  he  became  one  of  the  Bishops 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  he  sought  every  oppor- 
tunity to  plead  for  that  Christian  charity ;  and  when  he  was 
made  a  Bishop  he  became  more  immediately  identified  with 
the  active  work  of  the  Society.  One  fact  will  sum  up  the  rela- 
tions of  that  great  and  good  man  to  this  Society.  He  carried 
in  his  loving  heart,  and  in  his  great,  comprehensive  mind,  not 
only  the  whole  field  of  missions  in  its  entirety,  domestic  and 
foreign,  but  was  minutely  acquainted  with  all  the  particulars  of 
that  work.  He  was,  indeed,  a  walking  encyclopedia  of  the  mis- 
sions of  the  Methodist  Church.  It  was  almost  an  impossibility 
for  any  of  the  secretaries  to  make  an  inquiry  of  Bishop  Janes, 
with  reference  to  the  mission  work  at  home  or  abroad,  that  he 
was  not  found  to  be  as  familiar  with  it  as  with  the  appoint- 
ments of  the  last  Conference.  When  a  letter  would  come  to 
our  office  from  some  brother  at  a  distant  point  on  the  frontier, 
asking  for  aid,  it  was  only  necessary  to  wait  until  Bishop  Janes 
came  in,  and  to  lay  that  letter  before  him,  to  see  that  he  was 
as  familiar  with  the  personal  condition  of  the  ministers  of  the 
Methodist  Church  scattered  all  over  this  vast  country,  as  he 
was  with  those  immediately  near  him  in  the  city. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  majesty  and  the  solemnity  which 
combined  in  his  voice,  as  he  shook  my  hand  for  the  last  time 
on  that  morning  when  he  left  my  house.  I  had  been  lament- 
ing the  condition  of  the  missionary  treasury.  Holding  on  to 
my  hand  with  a  grasp  that  told  the  deep  feeling  of  his  soul, 


FUNERAL  SERVICES.  405 

and  looking  into  my  eyes  as  his  own  almost  flashed  with  fire, 
he  said  to  me,  "  Doctor,  the  Church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
must  sustain  the  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  And  these 
were  the  last  words  that  fell  from  his  sainted  lips  upon  my  ear 
and  upon  my  heart.  And  they  have  been  as  the  inspiration  of 
a  new  life  to  me,  as  I  have  thought  of  them  since  that  hour, 
and  as  I  have  stood  by  and  seen  his  eyes  closed  in  death.  My 
heart  yearns  to  say  some  tender  words  of  his  loving  personal 
relations  in  the  homes  which  he  has  visited.  That  gentle, 
loving  voice  greeted  children  and  domestics  with  a  kindness 
that  at  once  seemed  to  take  possession  of  them.  You  remem- 
ber when  he  entered  your  home,  how  he  would  have  felt  he 
had  neglected  some  great  duty  and  pleasure  if  he  had  permit- 
ted himself  to  enter  without  putting  his  hands  on  the  heads  of 
the  children,  and  asking  God's  blessing  upon  them.  I  now 
have  rising  before  me  the  memory  of  the  last  sight  I  had  of 
him  as  he  stood  upon  my  porch.  The  members  of  my  family, 
including  my  old  colored  help,  came  out  to  bid  him  good-bye, 
and  he  shook  hands  with,  and  gave  a  blessing  to  each  one. 
When  he  had  crossed  the  street  he  remembered  he  had  not 
said  good-bye  to  the  little  child,  the  youngest  born  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  he  walked  back  again,  though  pressed  for  time,  and 
said,  "O,  I  haven't  said  good-bye  to  my  little  daughter !"  then, 
taking  her  hand,  he  left  a  benediction  upon  her  little  head,  and 
upon  her  little  heart.  It  was  this  tender,  loving  spirit  that 
made  him  always  welcome  in  our  home  ;  we  greeted  him  with 
a  doxology,  and  we  felt  that  he  left  a  benediction  with  us  all. 

After  a  short  address  from  Bishop  Scott,  Bishop 
Simpson  said : 

Bishop  Janes's  character  has  been  analyzed  to-day  very  beau- 
tifully— and  all  his  characteristics  existed  in  force — his  clear 
and  vigorous  intellect,  his  very  quick  perception,  his  logical 
powers,  his  vivid  imagination,  that  gave  him  grasp  of  all  sur- 
rounding circumstances,  and  his  deep  piety,  bringing  all  to  the 

foot  of  the  cross.     But  I  believe,  alter  all,  the  grand  and  strik- 

18 


406  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

ing  feature  in  Bishop  Janes's  character  was  the  strength  of  his 
will.  He  had  one  of  the  most  indomitable  wills  that  I  think 
ever  was  placed  in  a  man's  bosom,  fitting  him  for  any  work,  or 
for  any  enterprise.  If  he  had  been  a  general  he  would  have 
been  like  Charles  the  Twelfth  or  Napoleon,  sparing  neither 
himself  nor  his  army.  As  a  statesman  he  would  have  led  this 
country  forward  without  regard  to  health.  But  the  manifesta- 
tion of  his  will  was  modified  by  his  loving  spirit,  his  deep  devo- 
tion, his  tender  regard  for  the  feelings,  the  reputation,  the  in- 
terests, and  the  honor  of  his  brethren  ;  and  only  occasionally 
did  you  see  its  outbursts,  at  some  moment  of  decision,  some 
moment  requiring  energy.  Then,  just  as  if  from  the  bosom  of 
some  placid  flood,  when  you  never  suspected  winds,  or  light- 
ning flash,  or  thunder  blast,  there  came  an  outburst  that  almost 
startled  you,  his  whole  nature  would  rise  at  once,  and  you  knew 
you  were  in  the  presence  of  a  master-mind  when  Bishop  Janes 
was  aroused  and  displayed  the  power  of  his  will.  He  controlled 
his  feelings ;  he  was  naturally  quick  and  impulsive,  but  in  all 
perplexity  and  trial  he  was  affectionate  and  tender.  This 
strength  of  his  will  made  him  consecrate  his  whole  powers  to 
the  Church.  I  never  knew  a  man  who  spared  himself  so  little, 
and  was  so  determined  to  meet  all  engagements  he  had  made. 
Dr.  Chapman  has  spoken  of  his  resemblance  to  some  of  the 
apostles.  In  a  sermon  I  heard  him  preach,  in  his  peroration, 
Bishop  Janes  used  language  which  I  shall  never  forget.  After 
showing  how  workers  with  Christ  would  be  sharers  of  his 
glory,  he  urged  upon  the  ministers  a  holy  ambition ;  he  urged 
them  to  set  their  mark  high,  and,  among  other  things,  said 
he  intended,  God  helping  him,  if  he  could,  to  get  as  near 
the  throne  as  the  Apostle  Paul.  It  was  strong  language,  and 
yet  such  was  the  ardor  of  his  soul  he  seemed  to  feel  it  all.  It 
was  a  holy  ambition.  For  depth  of  emotion,  for  perfectness 
of  consecration,  for  dedication  of  the  whole  life  and  power  to 
the  service  of  God,  especially  in  the  Church  of  which  he  was  a 
member  and  an  instrument  for  good,  I  have  never  known  his 
superior.  My  belief  is,  that  few  wiser,  holier,  more  consecrated, 
and  more  successful  ministers  have  ever  gone  up  to  glory. 


THE  BURIAL.  407 

Bishop  Janes  was  buried  in  Greenwood  Cemetery 
the  next  morning.  Seldom  has  a  man  been  borne 
to  his  grave  amid  deeper  grief.  There,  in  scarcely 
more  than  one  short  month,  he  was  laid  by  the  side 
of  his  sainted  wife — "they  were  lovely  and  pleas- 
ant in  their  lives,  and  in  their  death  they  were  not 
divided." 

From  all  the  different  societies  and  bodies  with 
which  he  had  been  connected,  and  from  many  of 
the  Annual  Conferences  and  Preachers'  Meetings, 
and  many  great  and  good  men  in  both  hemispheres, 
resolutions  and  letters  expressive  of  respect  for  his 
memory  and  of  sympathy  for  the  living  were  re- 
ceived by  his  family.  The  secular  and  religious 
press  every-where  took  note  of  his  death,  and  spoke 
of  his  services  in  terms  of  high  appreciation.  "  The 
entire  Church  will  sorrow  over  this  afflictive  provi- 
dence, something  as  a  household  mourns  when  the 
father  is  removed." 


4o8  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

Character  and  Work. 

"V  ^  7  HAT  most  of  all  must  impress  the  reader  of 
•  »  the  foregoing  memorials,  is  the  completeness 
of  Bishop  Janes's  life  and  character.  He  averaged 
well,  and  the  average  was  high,  as  man,  thinker, 
patriot,  preacher,  ruler.  Far  from  being  deficient 
in  any  one,  he  excelled  in  them  all,  and  it  is  difficult 
to  determine  in  what  capacity  most  to  admire  him. 
At  this  distance  he  looms  up  in  his  individuality; 
a  distinct  figure,  clear-cut  and  grand  in  outline,  as 
some  tall  peak  lifts  itself  from  the  general  level 
of  the  mountain  range.  And  as  the  hour  of  his 
translation  from  the  Church  militant  to  the  Church 
triumphant  recedes  into  the  past,  more  and  more 
will  his  relative  pre-eminence  be  seen  and  acknowl- 
edged. The  lapse  of  time  is  necessary  for  the  full 
estimate  of  a  character  which  combined  such  an 
assemblage  of  good  qualities ;  touching  all  men  so 
easily  as  to  obscure  somewhat,  by  their  very  nat- 
uralness, their  true  worth.  For  tenacity  of  pur- 
pose, knowledge  of  men,  and  ability  for  work,  he 
may  be  compared  with  Asbury;  for  legal  acumen, 
he  was  the  equal  of  Emory;  for  statesmanlike 
sagacity,  he  was  a  second  Hedding;  as  a  Christian 


PIETY,  BISHOP  JANES'S  ELEMENT.       409 

gentleman,  he  was  the  peer  of  Waugh ;  and  as 
a  preacher,  he  combined  the  sententiousness  of 
Morris,  the  unction  of  George,  and  the  eloquence 
of  M'Kendree. 

The  background  of  the  whole  of  this  was  prayer. 
Piety  was  Bishop  Janes's  element.  He  lived  in  an  at- 
mosphere of  prayer.  It  will  be  recollected  that  while 
a  very  young  preacher,  when  asked  why  he  prayed 
so  long  in  the  public  services,  his  answer  was,  "  Be- 
cause I  love  to  pray."  The  members  of  his  family 
testify,  that  not  unfrequently  when  at  home  he 
would  spend  much  of  the  night  in  devotion.  He 
would  write  letter  after  letter,  until  the  usual  bed- 
time approached,  when  the  family  would  retire,  and 
leave  him  with  the  understanding  that  he  would 
quickly  follow.  When  he  did  not  come,  his  daugh- 
ter, Miss  Janes,  ever  so  watchful  of  him,  knowing 
how  weary  he  was,  would  call  to  him,  "  Papa,  do 
come;  you  need  your  rest."  "Yes,  my  dear,  di- 
rectly." To  each  call,  the  answer  was,  "  Directly." 
And  there,  in  the  back  parlor,  with  the  lights  turned 
low,  as  the  small  hours  tripped  in,  might  the  man 
of  God  be  found,  alone  and  wrestling  with  the 
Angel  of  the  Covenant.  His  work  was  among  men, 
but  the  roots  of  this  activity  penetrated  to  those 
depths  whence  flow  the  perennial  springs  which 
supply  the  life-giving  power  and  freshness  of  all 
saving  work.  Writing  to  his  wife  on  one  occasion, 
he  says,  "  I  have  for  years  daily  consecrated  myself 


410  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

unreservedly  to  God."  He  maintained  not  only  the 
frame  and  habit  of  devotion,  but  his  practice  was 
to  precede  every  duty  of  importance  with  especial 
prayer.  Like  the  divine  Master,  who  spent  the 
whole  night  previous  to  the  calling  of  his  disciples 
in  the  solitude  of  the  mountain  with  the  Father, 
so  thus  his  humble  and  devoted  servant  uniformly 
prepared  himself  for  every  great  event  by  personal 
heart-searchings  and  by  communion  with  God. 

On  the  point  of  his  personal  religious  experience, 
whether  in  private  or  public,  he  was  rather  reticent 
than  otherwise.  He  spoke  sparingly  of  his  attain- 
ments ;  nothing  of  his  sacrifices  and  labors ;  but 
much,  very  much,  of  Christ  and  his  salvation — of 
the  yearning  desire  he  possessed  to  spread  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom.  If  there  be  such  a  thing  in  the 
future  life  as  a  mission  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
other  worlds,  the  language  of  his  heart  will  be,  "  I 
want  to  go  on  it." 

If  there  was  ever  any  appearance  of  narrowness  in 
Bishop  Janes,  it  was  in  his  impatience  of  any  thing 
which  interfered  with  this  same  preaching  of  the 
Gospel.  With  him,  both  for  himself  and  for  others 
engaged  in  the  sacred  vocation,  it  was  the  matter 
of  supreme  importance.  In  this  he  shared  the  views 
of  Mr.  Wesley — "  Getting  knowledge  is  good,  but 
saving  souls  is  better:"  and  he  believed  implicitly 
in  the  preaching  of  the  word  as  the  great  agency 
for  saving  men.  He  said  of  himself,  that  he  had 


APPRECIATION  OF  EDUCATION.          411 

not  turned  aside  "  to  write  books  or  to  deliver  lect- 
ures," but  had  kept  to  the  one  work  of  preaching. 
This  seeming  intolerance  of  time  and  energy  em- 
ployed otherwise  than  in  the  direct  pastoral  func- 
tion, was  not  that  he  appreciated  other  work  less, 
but  that  he  appreciated  this  work  more.  He  was  so 
convinced  of  the  indispensableness  of  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  Gospel  by  divinely  appointed  and  quali- 
fied men  as  the  one  constituted  method  of  saving 
the  race,  that  he  felt  for  a  man  so  called  and  fur- 
nished to  step  aside  for  any  thing  else,  however 
good,  was  a  waste  of  resources.  "  Let  the  dead 
bury  their  dead ;  but  go  thou  and  preach  the  king- 
dom of  God." 

Still,  it  must  not  be  thought  that  he  in  any  sense 
undervalued  learning.  He  was  from  the  first  the 
patron  and  promoter  of  schools  and  colleges.  He 
spoke  the  most  pronounced  and  encouraging  words 
for  the  education  of  both  men  and  women,  of  both 
laymen  and  ministers.  No  one  had  a  greater  re- 
gard for  the  more  cultivated  and  scholarly  men  of 
the  Methodist  ministry.  He  deferred  to  them  ;  he 
sought  in  every  way  to  accord  to  them  all  possible 
honor  and  means  of  usefulness  and  advancement. 
If  in  the  first  beginnings  of  theological  schools  he 
was  indifferent  to  their  establishment,  it  was  not 
that  he  undervalued  an  educated  ministry,  but  that 
he  dreaded  the  artificial  and  spiritless  methods  of 
preaching  which  he  had  known  to  result  from  the 


412  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

drill,  or  want  of  drill,  in  such  institutions  among 
other  denominations.  Hence,  in  his  address  at  Drew 
Theological  Seminary,  he  exclaims,  with  warmth 
and  tremendous  emphasis,  "  If  there  comes  to  you 
a  lion,  don't  take  away  his  roar;  and  if  a  tiger, 
don't  extract  his  teeth  or  cut  off  his  claws."  He 
wanted  the  learning  from  books,  but  not  at  the  ex- 
pense of  original  genius :  first,  that  which  is  natural ; 
afterward,  that  which  is  learned.  No  one  knew 
better  than  he  did,  that  "  it  is  not  by  books  alone, 
or  by  books  chiefly,  that  a  man  is  made  a  man  "  and 
a  preacher. 

This  leads  me  to  speak  of  him  as  an  educated 
man.  His  early  school  advantages  were  very  lim- 
ited, but  we  have  seen  how  he  read  law  and  medi- 
cine ;  and  his  whole  career  discloses  the  fact  that  he 
was  an  habitual  and  close  student.  The  number 
of  his  books  was  small,  but  these  he  pondered  well. 
It  is  said  that  he  read  and  re-read  the  orations  of 
Daniel  Webster  every  year  of  his  life,  regarding 
them  as  the  best  models  of  good  English.  He 
possessed  to  a  remarkable  degree  the  power  of  ab- 
straction :  he  could  think  subjects  through  under 
very  unfavorable  circumstances ;  compose  sermons 
and  speeches,  improvise  verses,  frame  decisions, 
write  long  and  choice  letters,  in  the  turmoil  of  Con- 
ference sessions  and  while  seated  in  the  chair.  He 
was  a  man  of  wide  and  close  observation,  nothing 
escaping  his  attention,  and  by  a  rapid  assimilation 


PRACTICAL  KNOWLEDGE — AN  ORATOR.    413 

he  made  all  that  he  either  saw  or  heard  his  own. 
Thus  his  mind  became  stored  with  all  manner  of 
information,  so  that  a  judge  so  capable  as  Dr. 
Stephen  Olin  remarked  of  him  years  ago,  "  Of  all 
the  distinguished  men  with  whom  I  have  been  ac- 
quainted, I  have  never  known  any  one  whose  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  men  and  things  exceeds  that  of 
Bishop  Janes."  There  is  not  a  doubt,  but  if  he  had 
in  his  early  career  been  directed  into  professorial 
lines  of  work  instead  of  into  the  more  practical 
fields  of  employment,  he  would  with  application 
have  become  as  exact  and  thorough  in  scholarship 
as  in  his  knowledge  of  affairs.  The  same  original 
insight  and  patience  of  research  which  made  him 
eminent  in  the  department  to  which  the  allotment 
of  Providence  assigned  him,  would  have  rendered 
him  great  in  any  other  one  sphere  of  investigation 
to  which  he  might  have  confined  his  faculties. 

First  of  all,  Bishop  Janes  was  an  orator.  From 
the  beginning  of  his  public  life  he  thought,  felt, 
and  spoke  as  an  orator ;  eloquence  was  the  medium 
of  his  communications  and  the  instrument  of  his 
power.  "  Beneath  the  philosopher's  brow  there  was 
the  warrior's  eye."  It  was  this  divinely-endowed 
gift  which  first  gave  him  access  to  men's  minds  and 
ascendency  over  their  wills.  Upon  eloquence  as  a 
basis  his  fame  and  power  arose.  As  a  speaker  he 
was  equally  at  home  on»all  occasions;  always  pos- 
sessed of  a  quiet  repose  which  invariably  put  his 

18* 


4H  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

hearers  at  their  ease,  and  prepared  them  to  expect 
a  just,  sensible,  and  thorough  treatment  of  the  sub- 
ject-matter on  which  he  spoke.  They  seldom  failed 
to  get  what  they  expected — and  at  times  more 
than  they  expected — for  with  instruction  and  argu- 
ment for  the  groundwork  of  what  he  said,  he  would 
rise  with  his  theme,  his  voice  and  person  expanding 
as  he  proceeded,  until,  not  unfrequently,  he  would 
conclude  with  a  burst  and  blaze  of  impassioned 
thought  and  appeal  which  would  arouse  the  deep- 
est emotions.  At  such  moments,  he  would  utter 
truths  well-nigh  inspired,  that  would  burn  into  the 
hearts,  and  sink  with  astonishing  weight  upon  the 
minds,  of  his  hearers.  Once,  addressing  a  crowd- 
ed missionary  meeting  in  Boston,  after  arguing, 
coaxing,  pleading,  and  inveighing,  because  of  the 
want  of  adequate  comprehension  of  and  giving  to 
missions,  he  exclaimed,  "  We  must  stop  talking 
as  a  Church  about  so  much  per  member.  We  can- 
not convert  the  world  by  poll-tax !  We  must  ap- 
peal to  the  conscience.  This  small  talk  gives  small 
collections.  We  must  give  as  God  has  prospered 
us!"  The  effect  was  electrifying,  and  men  went 
to  their  homes  ashamed  of  their  petty  "  my-propor- 
tion  "  giving. 

But  most  of  all,  the  orator  was  himself  in  the  pul- 
pit. Here  was  his  strong  tower.  He  felt  himself 
invested  with  an  authority  and  clothed  with  a  re- 
sponsibility, when  he  arose  before  men  as  the  em- 


As  A  PREACHER.  4*5 

bassador  for  Christ  to  speak  to  them  the  word  of  rec- 
onciliation, such  as  he  realized  at  no  other  time. 
As  I  have  intimated,  he  had  the  highest  possible 
conception  of  the  sacredness  and  grandeur  of  the 
preaching  function.  The  vocation  of  a  Christian 
pastor,  of  which  preaching  the  word  is  the  princi- 
pal element,  was  not  adopted  by  him  simply  as  a 
profession,  but  accepted  from  God  as  an  imposed 
necessity.  The  same  Will  which  saved  him  from  his 
sins  also  set  him  apart  to  proclaim  salvation  to  sin- 
ners as  the  one  great  and  indispensable  work  of  his 
life. 

As  a  preacher,  therefore,  he  had  the  first  and 
highest  qualification — a  thorough  personal  experi- 
ence of  the  power,  and  an  equally  thorough  convic- 
tion  of  the  importance,  of  the  Gospel.      Only  a 
powerful  persuasion  can  make  a  powerful  preacher. 
He  knew  that  the  Gospel  had  saved  him  from  sin, 
and   he  fully  believed  that  it,  and  it  alone,  could 
save  other  men.     This  conviction  made  him  a  very 
earnest  preacher.     He  could  not  trifle  in  the  pul- 
pit.    He  could  not  go  into  it  without  preparation 
— "beaten  oil   for   the  sanctuary"  was   his   ideal. 
He  could  deal  but  little,  if  at  all,  with  any  other 
than  the  saving  or  evangelical  themes  of  theology ; 
he  must  feel  each  time  that  he  left  the  sacred  desk 
that  he  had    spoken    to  spiritual  edification,  and 
with  such  distinctness  and  fullness  that  every  un- 
converted sinner  would  see  the  way  of  salvation. 


416  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

He  used  plain  language.  His  words  were  as  few 
as  possible  and  as  simple  as  possible ;  not,  indeed, 
few  to  paucity  nor  simple  to  baldness,  but  they 
were  as  few  as  would  consist  with  the  copious- 
ness which  properly  belongs  to  the  richness  of 
the  Gospel,  and  simple  in  the  sense  that  they  were 
so  familiar  and  vivid  as  to  be  easily  understood  by 
even  the  most  illiterate  hearer. 

As  to  the  manner  of  Bishop  Janes  in  the  pulpit  it 
was  naturalness  itself — look,  attitude,  voice,  gesture 
• — all  answered  to  the  man.  There  may  have  been 
art,  he  may  have  studied  the  rules  of  elocution,  but 
certainly  no  one  thought  of  it  in  his  public  exercises. 
There  was  the  farthest  remove  equally  from  the  tricks 
of  oratory  and  the  stolidness  of  a  so-called  preacher- 
tone  and  delivery.  His  manner  was  the  manner  of 
a  man  who  has  something  important  to  tell  men, 
and  tells  it.  He  seldom  used  a  manuscript  in  the 
pulpit.  Sometimes,  on  special  occasions,  when 
there  were  facts  to  be  stated,  figures  to  be  given,  or 
extracts  to  be  quoted,  when  he  wished  to  be  accu- 
rate and  could  not  trust  his  memory,  he  would 
read  ;  but  he  was  rarely  known  to  deliver  a  sermon 
or  address  throughout  other  than  in  the  extempore 
style.  And  of  this  style  he  was  one  of  the  best 
examples  our  times  have  known. 

While  Bishop  Janes  thus  highly  estimated  the 
preaching  element  of  the  pastoral  calling,  he  did 
not  the  less  esteem  what  is  commonly  known  as 


ESTIMATE  OF  THE  PASTORAL  OFFICE.    417 

the  pastoral  branch  of  the  calling— the  work  of 
visiting  and  personally  caring  for  the  members  of 
the  congregation.  When  he  was  himself  the  pas- 
tor of  a  Church  he  was  very  attentive  to  this  de- 
partment of  his  duties ;  and,  indeed,  he  never  ceased 
to  visit  and  to  feel  a  personal  solicitude  for  those 
persons  in  New  York  city  to  whom  he  had  borne 
this  sacred  and  endearing  relation.  When  they 
were  in  trouble  or  sickness,  or  upon  the  return  of 
the  great  festivals,  such  as  Christmas  or  Thanks- 
giving, or  the  recurrence  of  anniversaries  in  their 
families,  he  would  be  found  snatching  a  few  mo- 
ments and  dropping  in  upon  his  former  parish- 
ioners. His  gentleness,  tenderness,  and  devotion 
rendered  his  coming  to  the  house  of  mourning 
like  the  ministry  of  an  angel ;  whoever  else  might 
be  wanted  at  the  funeral,  Bishop  Janes  must  be 
there,  and  speak  or  pray;  and  this  was  not  be- 
cause he  was  the  resident  Bishop,  but  because,  as 
a  sympathizing  pastor,  he  was  known  and  loved 
among  the  people. 

It  was  never  of  his  seeking  that  he  became  other 
than  the  Christian  teacher  and  pastor.  He  was 
often  heard  to  say  he  preferred  that  position  before 
any  office  in  the  Church.  It  is  not  surprising, 
therefore,  that  when  elevated  by  the  suffrages  of 
his  brethren  to  the  office  of  a  Bishop,  there  ever 
remained  with  him  such  a  close  sympathy  with 
the  pastors,  and  that  there  was  always  in  him 


4i 8  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

such  an  utter  absence  of  the  assertion  of  preroga- 
tive as  he  mingled  with  them.  He  loved  to  be 
with  them,  to  preach  for  them,  and  to  assist  them 
in  all  manner  of  work.  Many  a  time  when  his 
whole  body  was  aching  for  rest,  and  his  well-nigh- 
starved  home  affections  were  crying  for  the  con- 
verse of  his  family,  he  has  been  known  to  go  out  to 
some  little  village  church  in  New  Jersey  or  elsewhere 
to  assist  a  young  and  struggling  preacher  with  a 
protracted  meeting,  or  in  the  desperate  effort  to 
raise  a  little  money  for  the  liquidation  of  a  church 
debt,  or  the  payment  of  arrearages  on  the  slender 
salary. 

The  grandest  preparation  of  Bishop  Janes  for  the 
Episcopacy  was  his  heart.  He  was  a  man  of  deep, 
refined,  even  exquisite,  sensibilities.  It  may,  at 
first  blush,  seem  absurd  to  speak  of  the  heart  prep- 
aration in  a  man  called  to  an  office  the  discharge  of 
whose  duties  so  frequently  hurts  the  feelings  of  the 
best  men  and  women,  but  it  must  be  insisted  upon. 
A  Methodist  Bishop  without  deep  and  tender  affec- 
tions would  be  a  human  monster.  There  is  no 
office,  in  State  or  Church,  so  completely  founded  in 
the  confidence  and  love  which  men  bear  one  for 
another  as  the  Methodist  Episcopacy.  It  requires 
in  its  exercise  a  very  delicate  and  sincere  apprecia- 
tion of  the  holiest  rights  of  the  most  conscien- 
tious persons.  These  commit  themselves  to  its 
keeping  and  commands.  The  whole  of  what  con- 


MANLINESS — PATIENCE.  419 

stitutes  the  highest  usefulness  of  a  pastor,  as  well 
as  the  well-being  of  himself  and  family,  the  health, 
education,  and  settlement  of  the  children,  is  in- 
volved in  the  appointment  which  he  may  receive 
from  the  Bishop ;  and  what  the  preacher  wants  to 
feel  most  of  all,  in  his  assignment,  is,  that  back  of 
the  power  which  appoints  him,  there  lies,  first  of 
all,  not  the  highest  knowledge,  but  the  truest  man- 
liness. This  Christian  manliness — real  love  of  the 
brethren — is  the  conservative  element  of  our  Epis- 
copacy, and  not  eloquence,  learning,  and  statesman- 
ship. In  it  Bishop  Janes  excelled. 

The  unwearied  patience  with  which  he  listened 
to  the  statements  of  preachers  and  people  was 
proverbial.  Interviews,  interchange  of  letters,  the 
representations  of  friends,  all  were  considered  in 
the  effort  to  understand  all  the  conditions  which 
should  affect  an  appointment.  And  just  so  long 
as  any  thing  could  be  done  which  might  possi- 
bly render  an  appointment  more  acceptable  or 
less  grievous,  he  would  not  abate  his  efforts. 

Years  ago,  when  the  guest  of  Dr.  Eliphalet  Clark, 
of  Portland,  Maine,  at  the  close  of  a  session  of  the 
Maine  Conference,  in  the  evening  the  doctor  said 
to  him,  "Bishop,  you  are  weary,  and  had  better 
retire."  "  No,"  said  he  ;  "I  will  throw  myself  on 
the  lounge  here.  Some  of  the  brethren  may  feel 
aggrieved  with  their  appointments  and  may  wish  to 
see  me  ;  I  want  to  be  convenient  for  them."  And 


420  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

there  he  would  lie,  although  he  was  obliged  to 
leave  early  the  next  morning.  He  was  known  to 
sit  up  night  after  night  with  his  cabinet  of  presiding 
elders  canvassing  the  case  of  one  preacher.  "  It 
was  his  motto  that  'No  appointment  was  good 
enough  while  it  might  be  bettered.'  Often  he 
would  rally  an  exhausted  and  sleepy  cabinet,  saying, 
'  Never  mind  your  sleep  ;  you  can  lose  that  better 
than  this  brother  can  endure  a  mistake  for  a  year 
or  longer.'  "  *  He  would  pour  into  the  ear  of  his 
wife  such  a  plaint  as  this  :  "  We  have  a  great  stress 
of  ministers  ;  I  know  not  how  to  station  them.  I 
shall  do  as  well  as  I  know  how,  looking  continually 

to  God."      Again  :  "  I  will  write  to  Brother , 

when  Conference  is  over,  as  wisely  as  I  can.  It  is  a 
delicate  and  difficult  case.  A  large  family  and  large 
expectations,  with  good  but  not  very  popular  tal- 
ents. A  very  good  man.  I  wish  I  could  meet  his 
views.  I  will  do  the  kindest  and  best  I  can  with 
the  case." 

While  there  was  this  love  of  the  pastors  which 
constrained  him  to  do  every  thing  within  his 
power  to  place  them  eligibly,  his  sympathies  did 
not  override  his  judgment.  Wisdom  ruled  in  his 
counsels.  There  was  a  love  for  God  and  his  Church 
above  all  human  feelings,  and  to  its  test  he  brought 
every  decision,  whether  it  involved  the  destination 
of  others  or  himself.  The  divine  will  was  author- 

*  "  Memorial  Discourse,"  by  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Fowler,  LL.D. 


CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.  421 

itative ;  and  when,  with  the  best  light  he  could  ob- 
tain, he  discovered  this  will,  he  bowed  to  its  behests, 
even  though  personal  preferences  might  be  invaded. 
We  have  seen  how  he  surrendered  his  home  de- 
lights to  duty ;  he  could  not,  therefore,  hesitate 
when  his  friendship  for  any  man  stood  in  the  path- 
way of  the  higher  obligations  of  conscience. 

Undoubtedly  the  source  of  his  power  in  the  great 
office  he  filled  so  acceptably  and  efficiently  for  so 
many  years  was  this  same  conscientiousness.  He 
was  controlled  by  a  scrupulous  regard  for  the  right. 
He  would  spare  no  pains  to  discover  it,  and  when 
he  had,  he  was  immovable  in  his  position.  "  Here 
I  stand,  I  can  do  no  otherwise."  This  gave  him 
great  singleness  of  purpose  and  entire  simplicity  of 
method  in  dealing  with  men  and  measures.  It  also 
gave  him  an  ascendency  over  men.  Nobody  ever 
questioned  the  motives  of  Bishop  Janes.  All  be- 
lieved him  to  be  honest  and  unselfish.  They  may 
have  differed  with  him  in  opinion  ;  they  may  some- 
times have  thought  him  a  little  too  much  imbued 
with  the  Methodist  churchly  idea;  but  they  could 
not  doubt  that  it  was  the  Church,  and  God  in  the 
Church,  and  not  his  own  interest  or  glory,  which 
governed  him. 

This  same  conscientiousness  made  him  a  man  of 
decided  convictions  in  his  Church  relations.  It  re- 
peatedly appears  in  his  correspondence  that  he  would 
cheerfully  have  resigned  the  office  of  Bishop  could 


422  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

he  have  done  so  as  a  good  Methodist.  No  man 
would  have  endured  such  hardships  as  he  did  unless 
he  were  convinced  that  the  good  of  the  Church 
which  had  been  the  means  of  his  salvation,  and 
which  he  believed  to  be  the  best  form  of  Christian- 
ity for  saving  the  world,  required  it.  He  could 
have  retired  at  any  time  to  the  pastorate  of  first- 
class  charges,  or  to  a  snug  secretaryship ;  but  no, 
he  must  continue  in  the  laborious  work  of  a  Meth- 
odist general  superintendent,  where  the  decision  of 
.the  Church  had  placed  him,  and  in  it,  with  all  the 
experience  which  time  had  given  him,  serve  Meth- 
odism, and  maintain  its  doctrines  and  usages  by  all 
the  power  with  which  he  was  endowed  and  invested. 
If  Bishop  Janes  had  grown  rich,  instead  of  spend- 
ing a  good  fortune  and  dying  comparatively  poor,  in 
his  long  career  in  the  Episcopacy  ;  if  he  had  used  his 
power  for  himself  or  his  friends,  there  might  be  a 
little  possible  room  for  saying,  "  Men  are  seldom 
known  to  surrender  power,  and  he  was  like  the 
rest."  But  do  we  not  see  that  he  pursued  his  work 
at  the  expense  of  his  worldly  affairs  ?  "I  did  not 
stop  to  look  after  this  business  ;  if  it  suffers  I  can- 
not help  it.  I  left  these  things  all  with  God  when 
I  gave  myself  to  this  work."  Such,  substantially, 
was  what  he  wrote  when  his  affairs  were  suffering  for 
lack  of  personal  attention.  It  was  no  unusual  thing 
for  him  to  give  away  in  charity,  in  some  years,  his 
whole  salary.  For  the  duties  of  his  station,  for  the 


A  GENIUS  FOR  ADMINISTRATION.        423 

grand  services  to  Methodism,  humanity,  and  Christ 
which  those  duties  involved,  he  laid  all  upon  the 
altar,  and  counted  not  his  life  dear  unto  him. 

Thus  far  but  little  has  been  said  of  the  abilities 
which  he  showed  in  the  Episcopal  office.  He  was 
wise,  tender,  and  conscientious  ;  this  much  has  ap- 
peared ;  but  these  attributes  were  associated  with  a 
genius  for  administration.  His  mind  combined 
comprehensiveness  with  a  rare  knowledge  of  details. 
He  knew  each  particular,  and  knew  it  in  its  relation 
to  the  whole.  No  department  of  Church  life,  and 
no  man  who  was  active  in  any  department,  escaped 
his  attention.  A  young  minister  in  a  remote  Con-' 
ference  was  once  invited  to  make  an  address  at  the 
anniversary  of  the  American  Bible  Society  in  New 
York.  He  could  not  imagine  how  he  came  to  be 
invited.  Years  afterward,  expressing  his  surprise 
to  the  Bishop,  he  quietly  replied,  "  I  suggested 
you."  His  acquaintance  with  the  preachers,  their 
adaptations  and  circumstances,  and  with  the 
Churches  and  missions,  was  marvelous.  His  eyes 
were  over  the  whole  field,  at  home  and  abroad,  at 
once  ;  with  a  lightning  glance  he  surveyed  all  its 
possibilities  and  dangers.  Not  only  did  his  eyes 
go,  but  his  feet  went  every-where.  It  was  a  prin- 
ciple with  him  to  be  an  ensample  to  the  preachers 
.of  constant  and  useful  employment.  His  motto 
was  "  Come,"  rather  than  "  Go."  He  rejoiced  that 
he  had  once  offered  himself  as  a  missionary  among 


424  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

the  heathen.  His  determination  was  to  commend 
his  office,  not  by  the  exercise  of  its  authority,  but  by 
making  it  out-work  and  out-sacrifice  any  other  posi- 
tion in  the  Church,  and  so  prove  itself  the  most 
useful  and  indispensable  office  of  the  Church. 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  Bishop  Janes's 
administration  was  highly  successful.  His  appoint- 
ments of  the  preachers  at  the  Annual  Conferences 
usually  gave  satisfaction.  He  was  always  acceptable 
as  a  presiding  officer — a  model  of  dignity,  courtesy, 
self-control,  and  dispatch  in  the  conduct  of  business. 
He  rarely  seemed  in  haste — only  the  least  so  when 
his  Conferences  crowded  one  upon  another  so  fast 
as  to  compel  him  forward.  He  was  never  known, 
while  in  the  chair,  to  use  his  position  to  wound  a 
preacher  by  holding  him  up  to  ridicule  or  censure, 
but  was  considerate  of  the  rights  of  every  one. 
No  law  decision  he  made  was  ever  overruled  by  a 
General  Conference.  Some  of  his  chosen  enter- 
prises may  have  fallen  short  of  becoming  all  he 
wished  or  anticipated  for  them,  but  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  he  was  obliged  oftentimes  boldly  to 
throw  himself  forward  in  the  advance  in  order  to 
inspire  a  following  at  all.  Bishop  Janes  was  never 
afraid  of  undertaking  great  things  for  God,  because 
his  faith  in  God  knew  no  bounds  other  than  His 
own  promise.  It  may  take  the  Church  a  cen- 
tury to  fill  in  and  complete  the  picture  outlined 
by  his  daring,  masterly  genius  —  in  educational 


LOVE  FOR  ALL  CHRISTIANS.  425 

institutions,  the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  church 
extension,  home  evangelization,  African  coloniza- 
tion, the  regeneration  of  the  colored  race,  system- 
atic beneficence,  and  such  like  causes — but  it  will 
do  it.  His  faith  was,  that  through  all  dangers  "  God 
would  take  care  of  his  Church,"  and  finally  plant  it 
in  all  the  earth. 

While  a  stanch  Methodist  and  a  Methodist 
Bishop,  Bishop  Janes  never  lost  sight  of  his  rela- 
tions to  all  true  believers.  He  was  eminently  cath- 
olic in  his  views  and  sentiments.  There  was  a 
serene  height  to  which  he  often  ascended,  where 
he  much  delighted  to  linger,  and  whence  he  looked 
down  upon  a  scene  in  which  all  denominational 
distinctions  were  dissolved  in  the  entire  oneness 
of  the  great  body  of  Christian  believers.  He  was 
in  kindly  sympathy  with  all  institutions  and  move- 
ments which  sought  to  express  Christian  unity,  and 
to  combine  the  energies  of  believers  in  the  extir- 
pation of  sin  and  the  advancement  of  the  human 
race.  He  loved  all  the  denominations,  and  rejoiced 
in  their  prosperity.  Writing  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
M'Cosh,  of  Princeton,  in  answer  to  an  invitation  to 
attend  a  commencement  of  the  New  Jersey  College, 
he  says :  "  Princeton  College  and  the  Presbyterian 
Church  have  each  a  noble  record  on  earth,  and  I 
am  sure  they  have  a  glorious  one  in  heaven.  ...  I 
greatly  delight  in  my  beloved  Church,  but  I  have 
no  denominational  jealousies."  In  the  same  free 


426  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

spirit  we  have  seen  him  joining  hands  with  the 
evangelical  Churches  in  the  work  of  the  Christian 
Commission  during  the  civil  war.  Despite  the 
weighty  stress  of  his  office,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
active  promoters  of  that  noble  organization. 

But  this  characterization,  inadequate  as  it  is, 
would  be  more  so  if  there  should  be  no  special 
mention  of  his  domestic  virtues.  In  the  home,  more 
than  any  where  else,  his  beautiful  nature  showed 
itself.  His  coming  was  a  benediction  to  the  family. 
And  though  often  too  weary  to  talk,  too  bur- 
dened with  official  care  to  have  leisure  for  the  pas- 
times of  the  house,  yet  his  quiet  smile,  his  heartfelt 
response  to  the  attentions  of  wife  and  children,  his 
fervent  prayers  at  the  family  altar,  rendered  his 
presence  at  home  the  source  of  richest  enjoyment 
while  it  continued,  and  of  fragrant  memories  when 
he  had  gone. 

Who  that  was  ever  so  favored  as  to  be  a  guest  at 
his  house,  can  forget  the  cordiality  of  his  welcome, 
or  the  high  talk,  gentleness,  and  affability  with 
which  he  was  entertained  ?  "  True  friends  make 
all  the  sweetness  and  all  the  bitterness  of  life." 
So  felt  Bishop  Janes ;  and  if  he  suffered  much  bit- 
terness in  the  long  separation  from  his  family,  the 
sweetness  he  enjoyed  when  in  their  society  was  all 
the  intenser  for  the  privations.  Hope  was  ever 
carrying  him  forward  to  the  infinite  sweetness  of 
the  reunion  in  heaven.  When  far  away  in  jour- 


His  POSITION  UNIQUE.  427 

neyings  and  at  Conference  sessions  his  heart  was 
ever  turning  homeward,  and  the  best  cheer  for  his 
pilgrimage  was  the  letter  from  some  one  member 
of  the  family.  "  These  letters  from  home  are 
bright  gems  glittering  along  my  pathway  ever  and 
anon." 

"  Marriage,"  says  Clement  of  Alexandria,  "  is 
a  school  of  virtue  for  those  who  are  thus  united, 
designed  to  educate  them  and  their  children  for 
eternity.  Every  home,  every  family,  must  be  an 
image  of  the  Church."  So  thought  Bishop  Janes, 
and  such  he  sought  to  make  his  own  home.  No 
man  was  ever  better  fitted  to  perform  the  duties  and 
to  enjoy  the  amenities  of  the  family;  and  yet,  by 
the  behests  of  his  office,  he  was  obliged  to  live  more 
in  the  houses  of  others  than  in  his  own.  But  every- 
where he  stayed,  or  even  lodged  as  a  wayfarer  for  a 
night,  he  left  the  memory  of  a  cheerful,  familiar 
piety,  which  uniformly  inspired  in  the  breasts  of  all, 
adults  and  children  alike,  the  earnest  desire  for  his 
speedy  return. 

It  is  yet  too  early  in  history  to  assign  the  com- 
parative place  of  our  Bishop  among  his  contempo- 
raries, or  among  the  holy  worthies  of  the  past. 
Nor  is  it  important  to  do  so.  His  position  is  some- 
what unique.  No  man  certainly  since  Asbury  has 
made  a  stronger  or  a  more  distinctive  impress  up- 
on American  Methodism  ;  his  wise  sayings,  holy 
example,  heroic  services,  sweet  charity,  and  self- 


.428  LIFE  OF  EDMUND  S.  JANES. 

denying  piety  will  be  treasured  by  generations  to 
come. 

"  Who  is  that  aged  gentleman? "  asked  one  of  the 
most  noted  generals  of  the  late  war  of  another  gen- 
tleman, as  they  were  hurrying  into  New  York  one 
day  on  a  New  Jersey  train :  "  I  see  him  quite  often 
on  the  train  and  have  wondered  who  he  is ;  I  have 
seldom  seen  such  a  head  and  face." 

"  Why,  that  is  Bishop  Janes,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church." 

"  Ah !  I  thought  he  must  be  a  remarkable  per- 
son." 

He  was  a  good  and  great  man.  We  have  had  but 
one  Bishop  Janes,  and  we  shall  never  have  another. 
"  Brief  is  the  span  of  life  given  us  by  nature ;  but 
the  memory  of  a  life  nobly  rendered  is  immortal." 


THE  END. 


6X 


X35 


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